The Romanovs
by clairlz
Summary: Mick/Beth/Josef Josef's past comes to visit and brings trouble.
1. Chapter 1

**Moonlight doesn't belong to me. It's just a place I go to play.**

**xxxxxxxxxx**

Beth wanders through the large entryway of their new home. She smiles to herself at the happiness she feels in this moment. She looks around as the house is being set for a very large party. They are having an open house for the larger vamp community. Some guests are even flying in from Europe. Josef is known for giving very good parties, and this should be no exception. Hopefully everyone will have a very nice time. Better than the last big party they gave because she's not leaving the next day.

Mick sees Beth from the walkway as she turns to leave and quickly sneaks up behind her and wraps his arms around her. He nuzzles her neck and smiles as she reaches back and runs her fingers through his soft hair.

She hears him whisper in her ear, "Are you happy?"

She turns and kisses him. "What do you think? A better question is are you happy?"

Mick smiles at her, "Very."

Beth sighs in contentment "That is so good to hear. Now, I need to start getting ready for tonight. I'll see you later." She winks at him as she leaves.

Mick watches her appreciatively as she walks up the stairs. He senses Josef standing behind him. He glances back at Josef who is doing the same thing. "You think she's going to need help?"

Josef smiles. "Probably not, but we could go ask just to be on the safe side."

They glance at each other and both men take the stairs two at a time.

Beth opens the closet and sees the dress that Josef spent two days helping her pick out. She's so glad they don't give parties like this all the time. She couldn't stand the shopping involved. She looks the dress over. She admits Josef has amazing taste. He always knows what will look the best on her.

Beth holds up the satin and lace bustier she bought to go under the dress. Josef insisted that her figure was perfect without it, but he relented when she showed it to him. She explained that she always wanted to wear one. He smiled and told her to go ahead but she had to promise to model it for him. When he wasn't looking, she also bought a matching lace garter belt and silk stockings.

There is a knock at the door, and she smiles. "Beth, uh we were wondering if you needed any help."

"No, Josef, I'm fine. I managed to get into the corset and garter belt just fine." Beth starts to snicker.

Mick and Josef exchange looks, both clearly picturing Beth in the corset and not much else.

Josef nudges Mick and motions for him to try.

Mick shrugs. "Beth, are you sure? I mean Josef and I would be more than happy to help you if you need it."

Beth is lying on the bed with her head stuffed into the pillow trying to hide her laughter.

"No, I'm fine. The silk stockings I bought are sliding on just fine. Now I have to find the spike heels I bought to go with this dress."

Mick looks at Josef and both are trying hard not to vamp out.

Beth is back to holding a pillow over her face to keep from giving herself away.

Trying to control herself she continues "Josef, do you remember what I did with the shoes? I can't seem to find them anywhere. I'm standing here in my underwear and I can't put the dress on until I find those darn heels. I don't want to walk on the hem of my dress looking for them."

"Uh, I'm not sure but Mick and I would be happy to come in and help you look for them."

At this point Beth is lying on the bed doing anything and everything to keep from laughing out loud. She gets herself under control. "Ok, come on. I can't find them anywhere."

Beth stands off to the side of the door. The door bangs open and Josef and Mick both come in and are standing in the middle of the room looking for her. Beth clears her throat and they both turn. She waves at them. She bursts out laughing at the looks on their faces as they both realize she's still in her shorts and t-shirt.

Mick and Josef look at each other and realize they've been had.

"Pool?" Mick asks.

Josef nods and they move towards her. Beth laughs and runs like hell; they catch up to her at the bottom of the stairs. She's laughing so hard she can't even put up much of a fight.

Mick grabs Beth's ankles and Josef takes her hands. They walk out to the pool and swing her back and forth until they are sure she's going to get some air and they let go. Beth hits the water still laughing.

Beth pulls herself up out of the pool and sits on the side in a wet t-shirt. "Mick told me once that this was one of my best looks"

Josef smiles and turns to Mick. "You were right."

Vanessa and Frank are standing on the balcony with Robert overlooking the scene. Vanessa turns to Robert. "Are they like this all the time?"

"Pretty much since we moved in here. I've never lived in a house with vampires who laugh so much. They are very happy. If not for the fact that they do go their separate ways to work and such I would think I was living with teenage humans. I better go get her a towel or she'll track water all over the entryway floor. Nobody wants to have to mop it again before the party."

Vanessa takes Frank's arm. "You think we need to recruit a third?" He looks at her and sees the twinkle in her eyes. Frank takes her in his arms. "You think we need another woman living with us?"

Vanessa swats at him and laughs. "Okay, I had that coming."

Frank kisses her and she marvels that after all these years any man can still make her toes curl.

xxxxxxxx

Katrina looks at Sergey waiting for a reaction to her plan. The two of them look so alike. Both have wavy dark hair and hazel eyes. Their lithe builds belie the strength of body that lies within them. It speaks only to the grace of movement they both possess. Most would look at the two of them and think of dancers from the ease of their movements.

Sergey stares at her and shakes his head. "First off, I don't like it for the obvious reason, that the two of us don't exactly belong in a house full of vampires. It's not a good idea. We might be better off approaching Michael at his office. Secondly, is this about finding Michael and warning him or seeing Josef again? Considering the way, you left him he may not be thrilled to see you. I'm not sure being in his home when we find out is a good idea."

Katrina looks down. "I had no choice and he told me to leave."

Sergey snorts. "Somehow, I'm sure that's how he looks at it too but you and I both know if you had really loved Josef, you would not have left him. As a people we tend to be more loyal than that to our loved ones."

She sighs, "I know, but that doesn't mean that I don't still want to make sure he doesn't hold a grudge or worse hate me."

Sergey sees the sadness in his sister's eyes. "Look, you forget I was friends with Josef, and I liked him. We got a long good for all our differences and I'm sure he doesn't hold a grudge. Katrina, you know who else is going to be at that party? Vanessa will be there, and that woman holds a grudge till the end of time. I'm half surprised she didn't come after you when she found out you left Josef to save your own hide."

Sergey sees how important this is to her. "Fine, we'll play it your way, but I still don't like it. If it wasn't an emergency, I wouldn't go along with it, but Michael has to be told about the danger he's in."

xxxxxxxxxxx

Beth walks around the party watching everyone having fun. She knows she's probably the youngest vampire in the whole house, but it doesn't matter. She's having way too much fun watching the crowd. Having all these vamps in one place at one time is so new to her she loves watching them. She feels a little like a small child that got to stay up late with the grownups. Most of them are very nice to her, well, except some of the women and even they aren't mean so much as a little catty. Beth laughs when they try and get snotty with her, which of course makes them madder.

Beth slowly wanders through the house making the same track again. She's found the best way to see the most people. She is looking back at a man and woman discussing the difference between blood types. She trips as she runs into a dark-haired man who smiles down at her. He catches her arm when she teeters a little. "Hey, I'm sorry."

Beth smiles at him. "It's okay. I should look where I'm going." She cocks her head and looks closely at him. "Do I know you?"

The man shakes his head. "No, I would remember someone as beautiful as you."

Beth smiles a little hesitantly. She realizes he's not a vamp but for a human something is not quite right. Her curiosity gets the better of her and she decides to find out what she can about him.

"Thank you. You look very familiar to me… or maybe you remind me of someone."

"Someone special I hope."

Beth laughs. "Are you flirting with me?"

He sighs dramatically. "If you have to ask, I must be doing it wrong."

Beth likes the stranger. "My name is Beth and you are?"

"Sergey. My name is Sergey. I'm Russian."

"Really, you don't have an accent."

He shrugs. "I've been here a long time. I don't get home near as much as I would like."

"You know, you should meet my friend before it gets any later. The party will be over before too much longer. Come on." Beth knows Josef will be able to answer her questions about the stranger.

Before he can protest, she takes his hand and pulls him along behind her.

Josef watches Katrina across the room. He is surprised to see her in this place, in this time. He's afraid he knows what she wants after all these years.

Katrina of course knows he is there as she can pick out his scent across even this crowded room. Vampire or man she would know Josef anywhere.

Beth enters the ballroom and sees Josef across the room and makes a beeline for him with Sergey in tow.

Sergey realizes to late who she's headed for. Josef glances up and turns in time to see Beth towing Sergey along behind her.

Beth is halfway across the room when Vanessa approaches her. "Beth?"

"Hi Vanessa. Really nice party isn't it?"

"Yes, I would say it's a success. Beth, Mick is looking for you downstairs by the pool. It seemed very important."

"I better go see what he wants." She turns to Sergey. "Sorry. I need to go. Maybe we'll talk later. I did want to introduce you and Josef. Darn."

Sergey takes her hand and kisses it. Beth smiles and turns and leaves. Sergey looks across the room at Josef and sees his eyes flash at him. He decides that going near Josef for the moment is not such a good idea. Luckily it seems Vanessa, is being distracted by another party guest and he slips away. He turns in the opposite direction and goes to where his sister is. She looks at the sheepish look on his face. "What did you do?"

"Ah, I think I made a pass at Josef's woman." He says without much remorse.

"Great."

"Great that Josef has a woman or great that I made a pass at her or..."

"Great, like are you trying to get us killed?"

"I had no idea who she is. She's just a beautiful woman and you know how I like beautiful women."

Katrina shakes her head "No wonder you and Josef got a long so well. You're actually not so different."

"Sister dear, you need a drink. I will go and fetch one for you." Sergey decides his best course of action is to stay out of sight of everyone for a bit.

Beth goes downstairs looking for Mick and can't find him anywhere. She shrugs and heads back to where Josef is. She watches Josef from the doorway and sees him still intent on the woman across the room. Earlier Beth saw Josef watching her but didn't think anything of it at the time. Now two hours later he's still staring and she's starting to get irritated. Beth growls a little in frustration as she feels a little jealousy rearing its ugly head. She pushes the emotion away and decides to see what's so fascinating about this woman. Beth tells herself she wants to make sure she's not a threat to Josef.

So, intent on the woman, Josef doesn't see Beth as she angles in but tries to keep hidden behind other guests. Beth sniffs the air and is surprised. The woman isn't a vamp either... she's whatever Sergey is. She backs up out of range, not wanting Josef to notice her yet.

Beth smiles to herself. Josef has been helping her to learn to read other people's thoughts. She's not supposed to try and read strangers. The elder vamps in the community would recognize her intrusion right away. They would not be amused. She's also supposed to stay out of human's minds because she could do unintentional damage a human. But this, this woman, she is sure is neither of those two.

For practice she started out trying to read Josef and Mick, which became easy, when they allow it. They can shut her out if they want. As things progressed, she was able to converse with both telepathically. It works so well that she doesn't even have to start the conversation. Because they each possess their own large measure of gifts, they can both call her easily. She wants to open the connection up so that Mick and Josef can hear each other through her. She hasn't quite been able to make that leap yet. She thinks she needs more practice.

She hasn't been able to start a conversation with anyone else. Vanessa thinks it's because of the connection Beth already shares with Mick and Josef. Beth would someday love to be as powerful a telepath as Vanessa.

Beth smiles. Nobody said anything about people who are neither vamp nor human. Beth stands out of line of sight of Josef and the woman and gently, as gently as she can she tiptoes into the woman's mind.

Beth gets quick flashes of fur and blood and teeth and sinew. The stretch of muscle, of adrenaline and the whisper of a howl at the moon. Beth gently backs out of the woman's mind and smiles… interesting images.

Josef thinks about approaching Katrina as Beth is at his side. "Who is she?" Beth asks him

Josef knows it's futile but gives it a shot anyway. "Who?"

Beth silently laughs at him. "You want to play that game; we can do that. The pretty brunette standing across the room." Just then Sergey walks up to Katrina and hands her a drink. "If I had to guess, I would say she and Sergey are brother and sister they look so much alike. Oh, and so you know, the one who is not a vampire or a human."

Josef smiles at her. "If she's not a vamp and she's not a human, what is she?"

Beth thinks about it for a minute. "If I had to guess, I'd say a werewolf."

Josef doesn't bother to hide his surprise. "How did you figure that out? Did Sergey tell you that?"

Beth looks at her feet and then peaks at Josef. "I read her mind a little bit."

"Beth?" He growls at her. "You do that to the wrong person, and we've got trouble. Don't do it to strangers until you have more practice."

Beth shrugs "How dangerous could she be if she's not one of our people. I already knew from her smell she isn't a vamp. Now answer my question. Who is she?"

"You got close enough to figure out she wasn't a vamp? Did she notice you?"

Beth shrugs. "No, she's too busy watching you and trying to not be obvious about it. When one of my lovers is staring across a room at another woman, I need to know the particulars."

She looks up at Josef and sees the smirk on his face. "Jealous?"

Beth sniffs at him. "Cautious. I'm quite sure you have more than one old lover who would like to stake you."

Josef smiles at her retort. The bind they have works both ways. He may not be able to hide much from her, but she can't hide much from him either. Besides, she's always been a lousy liar when it comes to the people she loves.

Beth watches Sergey walk away from his sister. "Maybe I'll go chat with Sergey some more. He was very nice."

She giggles as she hears Josef growl. "You stay away from him. I know him. He flirts with every beautiful woman he meets and you my love are beautiful."

Beth laughs. "I noticed that about him and thank you for the compliment." Beth leans in and kisses him. "Josef, is she an old lover?"

Josef snorts. "You don't know the half of it." Josef puts his finger under Beth's chin and turns her to look at him. He kisses deeply. "You know where my heart is."

Beth smirks at him. "It's not your heart I'm worried about."

He smiles at her. "You're bad. Everything with you is sex, sex, sex."

"Says one of the two men who wanted to help me get dressed this afternoon. Besides, I'm told I take after my sire."

Beth turns as Mick approaches them. He leans in and kisses Beth. He looks from one to the other. He feels the undercurrent of tension. "What's wrong?"

Katrina watches Josef and Beth across the room. The little hope she held out that he would still care for her dies. She can see from watching him across the room that he's very much in love with the blond. It's so evident in his body language. Sergey returns. She watches as a dark-haired man approaches the couple. He leans in and quickly kisses the blond and Katrina smiles.

She grabs Sergey's sleeve almost spilling his drink. "That's Michael. I told you he has beautiful eyes, like his grandmother."

Sergey starts to point out that they all have the same eyes and they come from much further up the line than Maria. Katrina starts to move to speak to Mick and suddenly Vanessa is standing in front of her.

"Hello Katrina, Sergey." Vanessa says in Russian

Sergey nods and prepares to get his sister out of there in a hurry if this doesn't go well.

"Vanessa. What are you doing here?" Katrina automatically answers in Russian

Vanessa looks at her coolly "Where else would I be but with my family."

"Did… did you turn Michael and the blond?" Katrina asks in English

Vanessa glowers at her "Stay with the Russian or don't speak at all. No, I didn't turn Mick or Beth. Coraline turned Mick and Josef turned Beth."

"Coraline did this? I will kill her."

"To late. Mick already took care of that particular problem."

Katrina is incredulous. "He killed his sire?"

"Yes, Coraline threatened Beth, the blonds name is Beth." Vanessa answers.

Katrina glances across the room at Beth and her lovers. Vanessa smiles to herself at the confusion clearly written on Katrina's face. "He killed his sire to protect a woman who is not his lover?"

"Whatever gave you the idea that she's not his lover?"

"Vanessa, clearly she and Josef…"

Vanessa smiles. "Yes, clearly she and Josef but if you watch a little longer, you'll see that clearly she and Mick as well."

Katrina snorts "both… of them?"

Vanessa laughs. "Yes, both. So, you see I have taken them both into the fold or pack, depending on your point of view. I will have no one causing them any pain. Ask around about the last person that messed with my family."

Katrina sticks her chin out. "I want to talk to Michael. It's my right. We share the same blood."

Vanessa sighs, she was afraid this is where this is headed. "In two days."

Katrina starts to protest, and Vanessa holds up her hand. "Katrina, do you want to make me angry? I know what happened with Josef, I know what you did. You're lucky you're not dead already. Two days. You do not know Mick. He's going to need a little time to process you and your people before you meet."

Katrina nods curtly. "Sergey and I will leave then and be back in two nights." Katrina starts to leave and stops. "Vanessa, please keep track of him until we can talk to him. I'm afraid he's in danger."

Vanessa frowns at her. "If he stays here with us, with Josef, Frank and Josef's security do you think he will be safe enough? How bad is the threat?"

Katrina nods. "There are few things in the world that would want to face a pack like that. So, yes, if you keep him here with his family, he will be safe."

Vanessa nods. "Katrina another thing before we go down this road too far. Do not call him Michael when you are introduced."

"Is it not his given name?"

"Yes, but it's not the name he uses. Listen if you are going to insist on seeing him, you could at least make this as easy for him as possible. If you want to have any kind of relationship with him do as I suggest. Coraline was not good to him and it's taken him a very long time to get over being turned. If not for Josef and Beth, I have no doubt he would most likely be dead by now."

Katrina watches Vanessa. "You like him. He's a good man?"

Vanessa nods. "He is a very good man and for the first time ever He's a very happy one also. Let's see if he can stay that way."

Katrina nods and turns. She and Sergey disappear into the crowd. Josef is standing so that he was able to watch the exchange over Beth's head. _Not good._

Mick looks at Josef and arches an eyebrow and Josef shrugs in return. Beth looks from one to the other.

"_Beth, let's not tell Mick about the werewolves quite yet."_

"_Josef, it's awful to talk about him when he's standing right here."_

"_Yes, and we'll stop as soon as you agree."_

"_Fine."_

Mick smiles at them "I'm going to go get a drink. Then you two can talk about me out loud."

Beth sighs. "Not my fault." And she kicks Josef's ankle.

Josef shakes his head. "Feel better?"

"Yes. You hurt his feelings and I want to know why."

"Because I wanted to finish the party with some fun and not some questions. You're bad enough."

"_Mick?"_

"_Yes?"_

"_I'm sorry. Josef was just being Josef. Please don't be mad."_

"_It's ok. I know he'll get to it sooner or later. My guess is it has to do with the brunette he spent half the night watching."_

Beth laughs._ "He is pretty transparent, isn't he? I already called him on that. Let it go until tomorrow. Have fun."_

"_Come have a drink with me."_

"_Ok. Be there in a sec."_

Beth looks at Josef. "I'm going down to the pool and have a drink with Mick."

"Beth?"

She looks at him and she knows he didn't mean to hurt Mick's feelings. She leans into him. "I love you." She kisses him and leaves.

**Xxxxxxxx**

**Comments are always welcome. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Moonlight doesn't belong to me. It's just a place I go to play.**

**xxxxxxxxxx**

Vanessa approaches Josef. "Well, do you want the bad news now or later?"

"Let me guess. Katrina has found more of her lost family and she wants a sit down."

Vanessa nods. "Two days. She says Mick is in danger but if we keep him here with us, he should be safe until she can come back and tell us what's up. I would have let her do it tonight except he's going to need to be told about the rest of his family. He's going to need a little time to get use to the idea."

"Well we might as well get this over with as soon as the party finishes winding down. Mick's already pissed at me. No use making it worse."

"Why, what did you do?"

"You know, I'd like to know how come it's always my fault."

Vanessa smirks. "Because we all know you and love you anyway. What happened?"

"Nothing. I told Beth not to tell Mick about the werewolves. He was standing here and sort of got mad. Beth kicked me and said it wasn't nice to talk about him when he was standing right there."

"By talking about him you mean that Beth and you were doing it telepathically. Beth is right, it's not right, it's downright rude. Secondly how does Beth know about the werewolves? Surly Sergey wouldn't have told her."

"She saw me watching Katrina and wanted to know what was going on. She's a little jealous but she'll probably never admit it. Anyway, come to find out she did a little digging in Katrina's head."

Vanessa looks at him and rolls her eyes. "That is not a good idea."

"I told her as much. Speaking of Sergey if you see him with Beth again, I want to know about it."

Vanessa smiles at his obvious jealousy. "You three need a keeper. Josef, you use to be serious and in charge. What the hell is going on with you?"

"I can't help it. Damn woman makes me crazy. Life is so good right now; half the time I don't know which way is up. Vanessa, you more than anyone knows how isolated I was for so long, especially after Sarah."

Vanessa nods.

"Nothing good ever lasts for long so yes, I've been letting go, at least until everything goes to hell again. Beth thinks I was staring at Katrina because there is some old lover thing going on. I was staring at her trying to decide whether to walk over and kill her for showing up when we are all so happy."

Vanessa sighs. "I'm going to go find Frank. The sooner we get this over with the better. Go collect Mick and Beth, and we will meet in your study. The party should be over for the most part by then."

Josef nods. He knows there is no use arguing with her.

"_Beth?"_

"_Yea?"_

"_Where are you? I can't tell with all the vamps in the house."_

"_Mick and I are out by the pool with Em and the girls. Are you coming down?"_

"_Yes, be there in a minute. I know you're mad at me but don't leave."_

"_I'm not mad, Josef I love you."_

Josef descends the stairs to the pool and finds Mick and Beth both drinking from a pair of freshies. Emily is lying in a lounge chair not far from them.

Emily has become den mother to the freshies. Josef realized with the additional five freshies they added, they needed someone to keep track of the girls and Henry. Robert already has enough on his plate running the house and grounds. Emily is getting a little old to be a freshie and because Beth didn't want Em to leave she suggested Emily for the job. Beth pointed out that Em had been more or less doing it for the last few years anyway. Josef was more than pleased with the idea. He didn't want Emily to leave either. Emily has been part of his household a long time for a human and he trusts her. He agreed and gave her a hefty raise and she stayed on as den mother.

Josef is glad to see that Beth is drinking from Henry's neck. It's good that she's finally gotten past that hurdle. Mick did a good job getting her over that fear. He waits patiently until they both are done. "Vanessa would like us to meet her in the study."

Mick looks at Josef questioningly.

"You'll find out soon enough. It's got to come from Vanessa."

They enter Josef's study to find Vanessa sitting at his desk. "Shit. Do you mind Vanessa? Can I at least sit at my own desk?"

"No." and she points to the couch.

He snorts and sits down heavily on the couch. Mick and Beth follow his lead. He looks at Mick. "Not my fault either. Blame her." And he waves a hand at Vanessa.

Vanessa comes around and sits on the edge of the desk facing the three of them. "I swear to Hera you three are reverting to children." She points at Josef. "You stop acting like you're a hundred." Then she points at Mick. "The same with you." Mick wants to point out that he's not yet a hundred but takes one look at Vanessa's face and decides better of it. She turns to Beth. "You, young lady, stop digging around in strangers' heads."

Josef hears Beth call him a tattletale under her breath.

"Mick, I need to talk to you about your mother."

Mick looks at her, confusion written across his face.

"What do you know about her people?" she asks

Mick shrugs. "She said they were dead. She was orphaned at a young age and had only father and I."

"Well, she didn't lie all together. A lot of her family was dead but not all. She was in hiding and could never see any of them again so to her it probably felt like they were all dead. Mick your mother was the daughter of Maria Romanov, who was the child of Nicholas Romanov II, Tsar of Russia. Maria sent Nina away as a very small child to save her life."

Mick stares at Vanessa a little shocked. "Why do I have such a weird life?"

She smiles at him and shrugs.

Josef mumbles under his breath "It's about to get a lot weirder."

Vanessa scowls at Josef. _"Hush!"_

"_Yes, ma'am." _She hears the snark echo in her head.

Mick brightens at the memory of his mother. "When I was little, she used to sing to me to get me to sleep. At the time I thought she was singing in a secret language she reserved just for me. I never heard her use it except late at night when it was just the two of us. I thought some day she would teach it to me. I haven't thought about that in years. Now that I think about it, I'm sure it was Russian."

Beth smiles at the image and tries not to let anyone see her shed a tear for that small boy who lost so much.

Josef interrupts "I met Maria once."

Mick narrows his eyes at Josef and Josef shakes his head. "No, not like that. It was when Nicholas was at the height of his power. His wife was German, and I was at that time a very successful German businessman. I was invited to court in Moscow and went. I was introduced to the entire family. Maria must have been all of seven years old. She had dark hair and these big hazel eyes. I remember hearing over the years that she turned into a beautiful woman.

Mick looks at Vanessa and then to Josef. "How long have you known this?"

"Since Damian's death." Vanessa responds. "He had the information and passed it on to me. He had been researching bloodlines for a very long time. I made Josef promise not to tell you when I told him, blame me, not him. I believed that you didn't need the information at this point. You are so happy that I didn't think more information was warranted."

"So, what's changed? Why this sudden change of heart?" Mick asks.

Vanessa can hear the frustration and anger in his voice.

"Because family has come knocking. Katrina was here tonight, and she wants to meet you."

"Katrina? The brunette Josef was watching all night?"

"Yes, that was Katrina and her brother Sergey, but there is more."

"Do I really want to know what else?"

"I can't answer that, but Katrina has taken that out of my hands. You have to be told about them because she is not going away, and I need to prepare you."

Vanessa takes a deep breath. "The Romanov family is very special. The gift runs strong through that bloodline. Consequently, any of them that have the gift, like you, either ends up with our people or theirs. At this point it's whoever finds the lost ones first. Your mother was not the first or last child sent away to save their life."

Mick looks at Vanessa questioningly. "Come on Vanessa spit it out. Your trying hard not to tell me something that you know needs to be said. What is it?"

Vanessa smiles at him. "Our people meaning vampires, or their people meaning werewolves."

Mick puts his head back on the couch and closes his eyes. "I can see why you weren't in a big hurry to tell me this."

Vanessa shrugs. "Katrina is your cousin up the line somewhere… I haven't looked at it close enough to figure it out. I didn't think we'd get here so soon but when she showed up tonight, it became evident that you had to be told. She will be back two nights from tonight. She says you're in some sort of danger. In addition to everything else, you need to stay here for a couple of days. Then she and Sergey will come back and define the threat."

Mick sighs. "Crap. If I'm in so much danger, why not tell me now?"

"Because I thought you might need a little time to get things sorted out in your mind. This is a lot to hand anyone in such short notice."

Beth sits up and looks at Josef. "What I want to know is what her connection to Josef is and if it's going to endanger him or any of the rest of us."

Josef traces a finger along her cheekbone. "You're not going to let this go, are you?"

"I might of if you hadn't spent most of the night staring at her and damn it yes, maybe I am a little jealous."

Josef moves Beth so she is sitting with her back to him. He brings her in close and wraps his arms around her from behind. He kisses the top of her head.

"_I love you. Let it go. Nothing is as important to me as you are."_

"_I'll try and let it go but so help me I'll slit her throat if she hurts you."_

"_I won't give her the chance. My life is here with you and Mick. Now, let's concentrate on Mick."_

"_Okay."_

Beth moves away from Josef and snuggles up to Mick. He automatically puts an arm around her and pulls her close. Feeling her close, his anger and frustration starts to seep away. He looks down at her and smiles.

Beth looks up at Vanessa. "Vanessa, you know how most people have these ideas about vampires based on legend and movies. We all know most are of them are inaccurate. Is it the same with werewolves? Can you tell us about them? Maybe that would help Mick and I understand them."

Vanessa nods. "Good idea. Let's see, they've been around a very long time. They don't live forever like we do but they have amazing healing abilities when they are in wolf form. They age very slowly so their life spans are ten times that of a human. The whole silver bullet thing is accurate in that they react to any silver just as we do. They can change to wolf form when they want to, no full moon involved. They become werewolves much like we do, a bite in wolf form, but there is no death involved like with us."

Vanessa begins to pace trying to put her thoughts together to make this as easy for Mick as possible. "You know what results when a human with the gift is turned by one of us. When that same human is taken by werewolves you get a stronger, faster, more powerful werewolf. A supper alpha, if you will. In the pack mentality this is ultimate in either gender. Most people think of this only in accordance with males. In their society it's equally desirable in females. In some very rare cases they can have some telepathic abilities. It is very rare in their communities. Most of the genes for it have gone dormant and to be honest it's best that way."

Vanessa continues. "For a very long time our people and theirs fought at the drop of a hat. There was a time when you would never have seen a pair of werewolves walk into the middle of a vamp party. Things have calmed down considerably in the last few years."

Josef interrupts. "When she says the last few years, she means the last hundred or so."

Vanessa nods. "We struck a truce. At first it was an uneasy peace, but it's gotten stronger and longer over the years. Josef brokered the truce that has turned into the peace we have now."

Mick looks at Josef and smiles. "So now you're a statesman?"

Josef sighs. "I lost too many friends to the stupidity of it all and found a way to put an end to it. I was tired of seeing the young ones die needlessly. Both our people are better than that, and all I had to do was give everyone a common enemy... publicity. I pointed out the new age and how it was getting harder and harder to hide. How the technology was going to make it that sooner or later if we didn't all get our houses in order we would be exposed. None of us wants that. The better the technology got over the years the stronger the peace became."

Mick glances at Josef. "How come in the last fifty years, you didn't mention them, or I didn't trip over one?"

"Because the less people that know about them and us the better. They don't broadcast us, even to their own people any more than we do them to ours. As for tripping over one you probably have but didn't bother to look any farther than the human outsides. Beth didn't know what Katrina was until she started digging into her head."

Mick looks at Beth. "You didn't."

She nods shyly at him. "Couldn't be helped. I knew I wasn't going to get a straight answer any other way."

Josef sees the dig for what it is, a bit of the truth. He realizes if he doesn't do something about this right now it's not going to get any better. Josef stands up and looks at Vanessa. "I need a recess." He grabs Beth's hand before anyone can say anything and pulls her to her feet. "Now." He growls at her. She pulls back and stands her ground.

Josef looks back at her and he sees her eyes flash in anger, and he returns the look. "You know we haven't done this in a while but if that's the way you want it, that's the way it will be." He scoops her up and throws her over his shoulder. Despite the angry protests and the nails raking his back he calmly walks out the door with her.

Vanessa and Frank watch, not sure whether this is a good thing or not. Vanessa looks at Mick and sees a small smile at the corners of his mouth.

"This is not as bad as it seems?" Vanessa asks.

Mick shakes his head. "No. They need to clear the air." Mick shrugs "It's how they do it. Josef is the only one that elicits that level of anger from her. He knows if he doesn't do something about this she may hold on to the anger for days. Beth may get mad at me, but it doesn't usually last very long and then we talk things over like reasonable people." Mick smirks. "If you haven't noticed Josef and I have very different temperaments. Beth reacts to both of us very differently. It's one of the reasons that things work for us. If we were too much alike it would drive us all crazy."

Josef keeps going until he's in his bedroom and he sets her down. "Ok, you want to keep digging at me about Katrina, fine. Let's get this out in the open. I had a thing with her a very long time ago. She is a werewolf. The last time I saw her the torch and pitchfork bunch was at the gates. I told her to get herself clear since they didn't know what she was, and I would deal with them. She ran."

Beth looks very surprised. "She left you… alone with them coming? How could she do that? I don't understand how she could do that." Josef hears her growl. "I don't like her."

Josef nods. "Yes, she did. For a long time, I told myself that it was because I told her to leave. She didn't have a choice, but finally I admitted to myself that she did it because she didn't really love me. Werewolves are by nature very loyal to those they love. If she had loved me, she would never have left me."

_I sure as hell would never leave you._

_Because, you love me, and I would never leave you._

Beth hesitates and then starts to ask him a question, but he holds up his hand. "And before you can ask if I loved her. At one time I thought I did but it's was a very long time ago." Josef pulls her into his arms. "Beth the only reason I spent half the night looking at her was because I was trying to decide whether to kill her or not."

Beth looks at him questioningly. "Your angry with her still?"

Josef shakes his head. "Not about the past. But I know she brings trouble. She always brings trouble and we are all so happy. Life is damn good right now in this place with you and Mick and I don't want it to change. I'm tired of things going to hell and not getting some peace."

Beth hugs him tight. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have goaded you, but I don't like it when you're evasive. It makes me crazy and I hate being kept in the dark, even if you think it's for my own good."

Josef nods. "I know and I'm sorry." He leans in and kisses her. "Let me change my shirt and we'll go back. We still have a lot to talk about."

Josef leads a smiling Beth back into the room. Vanessa smiles and looks over at Mick who smiles at them. Vanessa looks at the errant pair and smiles. "Can I continue now?"

"Yes, ma'am" Josef answers with a smirk

"As I was saying, werewolves are pack oriented and everything is for the pack. They will kill to protect their own and those they consider family. The Romanov's take it a step farther in that they also have managed to bridge the gap between werewolf and vampire. There are so many of them up and down the family tree. A lot of them have ended up on one side or the other without any choice in most cases. Katrina has become their nexus. She serves as a conduit between family members who were taken by different sides. She is keeper of the clan and she takes it seriously. I don't know if she just found you or if she let you be because she was waiting for you to get older before she approached you. Something has forced her hand and now you get a crash course in Romanov's and werewolves."

Mick looks sad and Vanessa is trying to figure out what she has said that would put that look in his eyes. He looks up at her. "Vanessa, do you think Coraline turned me because she knew who I was?"

Vanessa doesn't know what to tell him and shakes her head. "I have no way of knowing. Although remember Damian had a hand in that as well as what happened with Beth."

Josef jumps in. "I can answer that. You forget how many years I knew her. She turned you for only one reason and it had nothing to do with you being a Romanov. It was because she had decided that she loved and wanted you. It's that simple."

Mick nods and some of the tension and sadness leave his face. "It's funny. I blamed Coraline for what I am for many years. In the end having her turn me because she loved me is somehow better than being turned because of who and what I am. Fate is a weird thing."

Vanessa sits back down at Josef's desk. She turns to Frank. "Can you think of anything else?"

Frank looks at her and smiles. "You might tell him why you've never killed her."

Vanessa snorts. "Thanks Frank."

Mick looks at her. "Vanessa?"

Vanessa gives Josef a sideways glance. "Mick, Josef as a past with Katrina that you can ask him about later. He may have forgiven what she did, but I don't. The only reason that she's still alive is because I admire her devotion to her family. I could never take Katrina away from them. She has healed a lot of terrible wounds on both sides by the things she's done and prevented more than one suicide. I can't kill anyone who loves her family that much."

Vanessa turns to Josef "Can you think of anything I've missed?"

He shakes his head. "No." he says tightly.

Vanessa looks at him trying to figure out if he's as mad at her about what she said about killing Katrina as he sounds.

Mick sighs. "I have to stay here for two days."

"We all should until we hear Katrina out." Josef adds.

Vanessa nods. "Frank, can you stay? I'll postpone going back at least for the two days."

Franks shrugs. "Yea, I'm good."

Vanessa turns to the group. "Then it's settled. We'll all sit tight until Katrina and Sergey return."

**Xxxxxxx**

**Comments are always welcome. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Moonlight doesn't belong to me. It's just a place I go to play.**

**xxxxxx**

Josef gets up and leaves the room. Beth watches him go. She knows he's not mad at Vanessa.

Soon Mick and Beth are the only two left in the room. She turns in her seat next to him on the couch so she's facing him. "Want a hug?"

He smiles at her. "Always." And he opens his arms up and she snuggles in close to his chest. He kisses the top of her head.

She feels the tension leave Mick and leans back and looks at him. "You know Josef isn't really mad at Vanessa. He was just trying to make it seem that way."

Mick smiles at her, "Yea, even I got that. So, what do you want to do about it?"

Beth giggles. "You know how hard it is for Josef to be this noble? We could work something out, so nobody is alone tonight."

"It's up to you, it's always been up to you."

Beth nods. "I know but I also know that I've watched you two tip-toe around this subject for some time."

"Beth, you know that Josef and I have shared woman on more than one occasion. The thing is it's never been a woman we cared about two minutes after it was over. We've tip toed around this because we love you so much."

"You're afraid I don't want to make love to both of you or you don't you want to share me that way?"

Mick looks at her sheepishly. "Beth, we're male vampires. I think it's safe to say that we are both in favor of the idea if it's what you want. We are hesitant to put you in a position where you might do something you don't want to make us happy. Nobody wants you to end up resenting us because of it."

Xxxxxxxx

Vanessa finds Josef by the pool drinking from a freshie. She waits for him to finish determined to find out how angry he is with her. He turns to her and smiles. "Hey. Would you like me to call you a freshie?"

Vanessa squints at him. "You're not mad at me, yet."

"Why do I not want to hear what comes after yet." Josef asks

"Josef, what did you tell Beth about Katrina?"

"I told her the truth, the same thing I told you. The mob was at the gate and I told Katrina to leave and she left. That was the end of it for us."

"Josef, you and Katrina have your story down pat." he starts to object, and she waves him off. "Someday you're going to have to tell someone what really happened."

"Vanessa, let it go. It happened the way I said. Katrina left me and ran off when I told her to."

She hears the warning in his voice but goes on. "I know you've been lying about this for years. You and Katrina are very convincing. Maybe you've told it to yourself so often you believe it. I don't know, but I know there is more to it than you've said. If you have unresolved business with Katrina don't let it mess up the life you have with Beth. She and Mick are the best things to happen to you in a long time. That's all I'm going to say."

He shakes his head. "I don't have anything unresolved with Katrina. She and I were over a long time ago." He resigns himself to the idea that Vanessa knows him to well. "You're right though, there is more to it than I've said. If some day I'm forced to tell Beth and Mick the whole story, I will, but only if I've got no other choice. I'm not mad at you. I know you're trying to look out for me, but please let it go."

"Then why the act in the study? Why let everyone think you're mad at me over what I said about Katrina if you don't have any unfinished business with her?"

Josef smiles at the turn in conversation. "You know we are still kind of getting used to living here together. Mick wouldn't live at the old place, so we've only lived under one roof for a few weeks. We're still feeling our way around things. Mick and I tend to tread softly with Beth in certain areas because we're afraid of upsetting her. Do you understand?"

Vanessa smiles. "Yes, you knew that Mick needed to be with her tonight, so you made sure of it by letting them think you were mad at me. Josef are you sure this is going to work out? I know I wondered why you weren't doing it already, but you were right. They are so young."

Josef nods. "It's the only thing I am sure of. I have no doubt that she will love us both for a very long time. You should have heard her when I told her Katrina left me with the mob. She couldn't comprehend it. She would never ever enter her mind to leave either of us unless it was to go get the other one for help. Yes, Vanessa one-way or the other we will work it out."

xxxxxxxxx

Beth smiles at Mick and stands up. She takes his hand. "Follow me."

He lets her lead and they climb the stairs.

_"Josef?"_

Vanessa watches Josef's head swivels around and he looks to the house.

_"Yes?"_

_"Can you meet Mick and I in your room? We'd like to see you."_

_"Beth?"_

_"Josef, just do as I say and come upstairs."_

Vanessa watches the smile that comes to his face. He turns to her. "I'll see you later."

Vanessa laughs as she watches him disappear. What none of them know is that Beth is somewhat loud with her telepathy. When it's quiet like it is now, Vanessa can hear every word. She can barely block the child out, unless there are a lot of other people around. It's funny because she can't read any of them individually. When they communicate telepathically with Beth Vanessa is hearing it all. Vanessa is going to have to take a little time before she leaves and suggest someone other than Josef to teach her. Beth won't like it, but Josef doesn't have the practical experience to do her justice. She needs someone who has the same ability.

Frank joins her. "It's hard to believe the ways in which he's changed over the years. I hardly recognize that angry young one that I trained. I know he had reason to be angry, but he handles things differently now and gets the same result."

Vanessa smiles. "I know that Josef and Beth have made a huge difference in Mick's life, but they have done the same for Josef. I'm glad they are so happy. It's a shame that Katrina showed up and whether Josef likes it or not, I'm very glad he no longer has any attachment to her. Beth is much better for him."

Frank holds out his hand to her. "Come on, there's a nice double wide freezer waiting for us." They walk arm in arm to the guest freezer room."

**xxxxxxxxx**

**Comments are always welcome. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Moonlight doesn't belong to me. It's just a place I go to play.**

**xxxxxxx**

Beth decides to find Mick and make sure he's not brooding. She wants to make sure he's not upset about what they've been told. She finds him and Frank fencing in the gym. Beth sits down to watch. Frank knocks the sword out of Mick's hand and points his at Mick's nose. "Stop letting other things intrude on your concentration. You were doing fine until you realized Beth was here. You have a real talent for this. Just because you got lucky with Coraline doesn't mean you don't need to work on your technique."

Mick nods and they begin again. Beth watches the muscles in Mick's body move with such ease. She loves watching him work out. Mick can sense her desire and he stops. He turns to her and smiles. "I love you, but you have to go. Please, you've got to go do something else." Beth smiles at him seductively and waves as she leaves.

Beth finds Vanessa in the den talking on the phone. She doesn't want to eavesdrop, so she turns to leave and Vanessa waves her back into the room.

Beth goes to the bar and pours herself a glass of AB negative and motions to Vanessa to see if she also wants a glass. Vanessa nods as she hangs up the phone. Beth crosses the room and hands her the glass. "Thank you." Vanessa sips the blood and smiles at Beth. "I see you have Josef's taste buds as well."

Beth shrugs. "When he turned me that was what he had most of at the house and I sort of got use to the taste. When I was living with Mick, I drank A positive. That seems to be his favorite. If it's fresh I'm not picky. Getting Mick off the morgue blood was a big step and getting him back to live feeding was especially good for him."

"You and Josef have been very good for Mick but don't kid yourself Beth, the change in Josef is considerable. You have broken down barriers and walls that I thought would never go away. He's always been solitary. After Sarah… I never thought he would come out of it. Then thankfully that damn Coraline did him a huge favor and turned Mick. I know that Mick may not look at it as a blessing but as far as Josef is concerned, she did a very good thing. Their friendship started something inside of Josef that has come full circle to the life he has now. I never imagined he would be this happy."

"I don't think any of us ever thought we would be as happy as we are now. Now that Mick has left the past behind. I think we can survive anything if we are together. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going down to the stables."

Vanessa watches her leave. She hopes Beth is right and they can get through anything together.

Beth spends the rest of the night grooming and caring for the horses. She's discovered that the horse's calm things down for her. They give her the peace she needs to sometimes sort things out. It starts to get late, so she goes back up to the house to get cleaned up and get some sleep. She sees Josef's car in the driveway, so she knows he's home. After she gets out of the shower she reaches out for Josef and Mick. She senses that Josef is already in his freezer and that Mick on the balcony off his room.

_"Mick, would you like some company? Maybe we could talk."_

_"Sure."_

Beth opens the door to his room. It's like hers, and Josef's rooms, large and spacious. They all have a bar in one side, a balcony overlooking a different side of the property and a freezer room. Out on the balcony are half a dozen chairs and a table.

Mick hears her and stands up watching her as she moves through the room. "You've never looked as beautiful as you do right this minute."

Beth walks out onto the balcony. She's wearing a simple soft blue sack dress; no makeup and her feet are bare.

She smiles at him. "Not even last night?"

He grins at her. "No that was seductive and sexy and hot and most of my fantasies come to life but this, this is beauty at its best."

Beth looks up at him through her lashes. "Does that mean you had fun last night?"

Mick cocks his head to the side. "You can't possibly have any doubts that what the three of us did last night was anything but fantastic."

"Well, you know, I never..."

Mick puts his finger under her chin. "Never doubt that you the most intoxicating woman and what we shared last night was amazing. Unless of course you didn't enjoy it as much as I think you did."

Beth smiles at him shyly. "You know better than that."

"There is one thing that is better though."

"What?" Beth asks with interest.

"Just you and me together." Mick hugs her tight.

Beth kisses him. "I love you too."

Xxxxxxxx

Toby watches the beautiful werewolf across the crowded room. Like vamps' werewolves also have places reserved for meeting their own. He buys her a drink and she smile at him. He finds out her name is Lily and they spend the evening talking. The evening wears on and he offers to walk her home. That's the last time anyone sees her.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Katrina and Sergey rumble along in the small car. "I don't know why we had to go in the car. I hate cars. I hate to drive, and you always make me drive." Sergey says crossly.

"Just because we could easily run this distance doesn't mean we should. I want to present as normal a picture for Mick as I can. Driving up in a car does that. Don't be cross."

Sergey sighs. "Well at least we're here. I hate these stinky cars. They offend my senses."

Katrina smiles at him and pats his cheek. "Be good. We not only have to win Mick over but the rest of them. It's not going to be easy and no more flirting with Josef and Mick's woman."

Sergey rolls his eyes at her. "You take all the fun out of everything."

They get out of the car and Katrina knocks. Vanessa opens the door and lets them pass. Katrina looks around hoping to spot Mick. "Katrina, Sergey, before we go in and join everyone there are some things, I need to tell you."

Katrina nods for Vanessa to continue. "Mick isn't alone. Josef and Beth are in there with him and Frank and I will also be joining in on this meeting."

Katrina shrugs. "I would expect no less from his family."

"Good. There is one more thing. Josef had to explain you to Beth, and she is not exactly crazy about you. She's very young and very protective of Josef and Mick, hence her dislike of you. Josef and Mick will keep her in check for the most part but if she gets mouthy with you for god's sake let it go. There is no way I can think of to make an enemy of Mick faster than to get into it with Beth. Just keep your cool with her."

Katrina sighs. "Vanessa, I did not come here for a fight."

"I know but, in her eyes, you did the unforgivable, you hurt Josef. If she thinks there is a chance you could do it again or to Mick, she will do whatever she can to make things unpleasant."

"She sounds like one of ours."

"I've watched her with Mick and Josef. With Mick she feels his pain or anger and can help him let it go. Josef on the other hand is another story. When he is angry, she feels it and radiates it back out. Whatever he's mad at, she's mad at. He is her sire and some of that is their bond. The difference is she hasn't learned to shed her own anger. She gets over it, but it can take some time. She's usually very good-natured, until you mess with Josef and Mick. They are all very loyal and very protective of each other."

"I wish he hadn't told her of our past relationship."

"He had no choice. She's not stupid and the three of them are connected in ways that are hard to imagine. He couldn't hide it from her, and it was better to tell her something than have her wondering and poking around. She's an empath, and she also has telepathic abilities. She's just learning to use her gifts."

Katrina looks at Vanessa and her eyes narrow. "It was her at the party. I felt a nudge in my mind. I thought it was you, so I let it go. It wasn't though was it? It was her poking around in my head."

Vanessa nods. "You see, he had to explain to her, or she would keep digging and I have a hunch that neither of you wants that." Vanessa doesn't have to be a telepath to see the surprise in Katrina's eyes. Sergey watches the exchange with interest. Like Vanessa he's never thought the story Katrina and Josef tell is complete. Vanessa continues. "'No is not a word she deals with very well. She's very head strong. Come on; let's get this started. They're in the den."

Vanessa opens the door to what is a very large room with lots of comfortable furniture placed all around. There is a fireplace at the far side that is lit but no heat comes from it. The room is a bit chilly but for vampires and werewolves it's perfect.

Katrina and Sergey enter the room, and everyone stands up. Katrina runs her eyes over the group. Josef nods to her and comes over to shake Sergey's hand. As her brother had reminded her, they were friends at one time. Frank nods to the pair.

Beth stands back and watches as Vanessa introduces Mick to Katrina and Sergey. While the three of them exchange pleasantries, Vanessa turns to Beth. She realizes Beth hasn't decided whether to behave or not.

_"Beth!"_

_"Vanessa?"_

_"Do not make this any harder than it has to be. You know how Mick reacts to you. Please behave for his sake. This is important. These are his mother's people weather you like them or not."_

Beth scowls and takes a deep breath _"Ok but if she messes with them, I'll kill her."_

_"Fine but I assure you, you won't get the chance. I will take care of it."_

Vanessa introduces Beth to the pair. Beth nods to Katrina and they eye each other warily.

Josef looks at Vanessa who smiles and rolls her eyes at him.

They all sit down. Josef senses Beth's unease. He pulls Beth in close to him on the couch. He kisses the top of her shoulder.

Katrina turns to Mick. "Vanessa gave you the background on us?"

Mick nods. "Yes, werewolves, Romanov's, my mother."

Katrina nods. "I found out you were one of us a few years ago. I wasn't going to approach you unless I had to, until you were older. I didn't think you needed any more upheaval. I have dealt with enough of your people and mine who have been turned against their will. I know the signs when someone is fighting their demons. I have checked on you a few times over the years and you always seemed to be a little better." Mick glances at Beth and Josef. "As I say I let it go."

Mick clears his throat. "Thank you. You did the right thing. Vanessa said you told her I was in danger. What is that about?"

Katrina takes a deep breath. "I wish I knew exactly what is going on. I have a few contacts in the vampire community and of course in our own. I'm very afraid someone is hunting us."

"Us meaning, werewolves or us meaning Romanov's?" Mick asks.

"Since I believe there are missing on both sides, I would say us as in Romanov's. I have a list of members of the family and some of them have disappeared."

Josef speaks up for the first time. "Do you have any way of doing an independent investigation? We need to know whether they are gone or off somewhere. I know the werewolves more than likely wouldn't take off. Let's face it though, vampires can be fairly antisocial when the mood strikes us."

Katrina nods. "Your right, it's much harder for me to get conformation on the vampire side. The werewolves are not the type to wander off at all. We just don't, if we have family, and the missing wolves were part of an established pack and two had children."

Beth leans forward and listens to all this intently, her curiosity kicking into high gear. She finds this very interesting. She hasn't said anything nasty even once. Josef glances at her and smiles. He can practically see the gears turning.

Beth glances at Mick and he nods to her. He can tell she's turning this over in her mind looking at it from every angle. "Vanessa told us that many of the turnings on both sides are not done by mutual consent."

Katrina nods. "Unfortunately, that is true."

"Could it be that this is being done by someone who is on your missing list? Maybe the decided to take their rage out on the whole family as revenge?"

Katrina sighs. "I hadn't thought of it in those terms exactly. I thought it was a family member who lost a child or lover to one or the other side and decided to get even with us all. I suppose it could be someone who I thought was doing okay but isn't. The forced turnings are the worst. Waking up as a werewolf or a vampire when you had no idea it was coming is too much of a jolt. Both sides should outlaw forced turnings. I don't know how you would enforce it because the resulting wolf or fledgling needs the sire so desperately. You couldn't kill the sire without having to kill them also."

Beth and Josef glance at Mick and he looks sad and a little lost. Beth moves over to the other end of the couch and sits close to him and he draws her in close. Katrina watches Josef as he smiles. Katrina knows she will never understand these three. Werewolves would never be this tolerant about a mate.

Beth decides to steer the conversation back. "Have you found any bodies, any evidence of foul play? Were the vampires and wolves involved young or old? How long had they been missing before someone realized they were gone, and you found out about it? Do you search for the children, like Mick's mother who have been sent away? Maybe it's someone protecting one of those kids."

Katrina smiles at Beth and holds up her hand. "Please one question at a time."

Josef and Mick laugh. "She's a reporter." Josef says as a way of explaining.

Katrina's eyes get wide "A reporter?"

Beth shakes her head. "Don't worry about it. I'm freelance and I would never write about something that would endanger any of us. Please believe me if I were going to do it, I would have done it a long time ago and certainly before I joined the tribe."

Katrina nods. "That makes sense. Let's see, if I even suspect I have inadvertently found a missing child I stay completely away. I don't go near them. There are people on both sides that keep track of me for that very reason. I will in no way be a party to leading any of them to any of the children that have been hidden. No bodies have been found. There are just people missing. They range in ages. In three cases, they were wolves with long family support. Why would age make a difference?"

Mick answers this one. "I think what Beth is getting at, is that if it was an old vampire the odds of a human, being responsible is somewhat less? We get stronger and more powerful as we age. If it was a fledgling, then a human would have more of a chance."

Beth nods and tries to decide how to frame her next question. "I don't want to misunderstand something important. When you say two of the missing wolves had children, do you mean blood relations or someone they turned?"

Katrina sees what Vanessa meant about the blond being smart. "I mean blood relations. Unlike your people we can have children... with limitations." Before Beth can ask Katrina holds up her hand. "Whether the children are werewolf or human depends on if one or both of the parents are werewolf."

Beth is amazed and then something else occurs to her. "Does it make a difference to the pack if the children are human? Is anyone ostracized over such a child?"

"Do we penalize our own for falling in love outside the pack? I want to say no, but I can't swear it never happens. If the mother is human things can get complicated, but we don't look at humans quite the same way your people tend to."

Beth looks at Mick and Josef not quite understanding what Katrina is getting at. Josef smiles at her. "Katrina is referring to the fact that some of us tend to think of humans as no more than sustenance."

Beth shakes her head and narrows her eyes. "Some of my best friends are human."

Mick gets a little nervous at the tone of voice Beth is starting to use at that last comment. He decides to ask his own questions. "How about time frame? Do you have any idea if this has been the last six months or over a period of weeks?"

"With the wolves it was the last six to eight weeks with the vamps all I can say is some time in the last few months. As I said your people are much harder for me to track."

Mick and Josef look at each other and Josef shrugs. Mick turns to Katrina. "I have resources you don't, and I would like to help with this."

Katrina looks at the trio surprised. "You want to help?"

Mick looks indignant. "Of course. I'm a private investigator and Beth is nosy."

Beth smiles and jabs him with her elbow.

Josef looks at Katrina. "And I don't like anything that could take on an older vampire and win."

Mick looks at Katrina. "There is one catch."

Katrina looks at him suspiciously. "And that would be?"

Mick smiles "I want to see one of you turn into wolf."

"Oh, me too." Beth joins in.

**xxxxxx**

**Comments are always welcome. **

t


	5. Chapter 5

**Moonlight doesn't belong to me. It's just a place I go to play.**

**xxxxxxxxxx**

Katrina is glad that this has gone better than she ever thought it would. They asked little but to see her true nature. "Ok. When it's time to leave one of us will shift."

Sergey smiles "Oh, can I, can I?" he says with mock glee. "Then you can drive that miserable car."

Katrina shakes her head at Sergey. "Cars offend his sensibilities. If one of you could take the car back to the rental place, we could both shift and run to our next destination."

Josef nods. "I can get one of my people to do it."

Sergey "Good. I'm going outside." Sergey wants to wink at Beth but is afraid he won't make it to wolf form before Josef and Mick have him by the scruff of the neck. He loves living dangerously but some things are stupid. He stands in front of them and prepares to strip out of his clothes when he feels a tap on his shoulder. He turns and sees Vanessa pointing to the door with a towel in her hand. "Geeze, Vanessa, how old are you?"

"Sergey not everyone is as in love with your body as you are. Now do as I say."

He smirks at her as he leaves the room. He comes back naked except for the towel wrapped around his waist. He hands Katrina his folded clothes.

They watch as his body's muscle and bone start to stretch and alter their human path. His hands and feet elongate and curve in on themselves into paws. They see fine white hair start to grow everywhere on his body. Beth and Mick try to watch every part of him to see the changes. They watch as his face molds itself into that of a wolf. His nose turns into a snout; his teeth follow the change in his jaw line. His teeth become sharp points and remind Mick of his own fangs. Sergey's ears come to a point. For a split-second Beth thinks they resemble elf ears, until they curve like a dog and move up to the top of his head. His back arches and soon he's on all fours next to his sister. The fine white hair has turned into a thick white coat. In a matter of minutes there is a large wolf standing in front of them. He has the same hazel eyes that belong to Sergey. It happens so fast that they can hardly believe what they saw. Both are in awe of the transformation.

The towel is lying on the floor in front of Katrina. She folds it up and hands it to Vanessa. Sergey goes over and licks Beth's knee and she wrinkles her nose at him. Josef lets out a low growl and Sergey looks at his old friend and Beth can almost swear there is a smile on the wolf's face. She scratches him between his ears. Vanessa opens the door and follows him to the front door to let him out. The sound of his claws clicking on the hard wood floor follows in his wake.

Josef gets up and crosses to the phone on the desk. "Al, make sure everyone knows that there are a pair of large white wolves on the premises. They are not to be harmed under any circumstances. They belong to a visitor and they are very tame. Tell everyone to leave them alone. If I hear of anyone taking pot shots at them, there will be hell to pay."

"I'll get right on it." Al hangs up.

Katrina nods. "Thank you. You have no idea how often men with guns think it's fun to shoot at wolves."

Katrina looks at Mick. "Are you sure you want to get involved in this?"

Mick smiles at her, "It's what I do."

He gets up and opens his wallet. "Here's my card. It's got a fax number, email, phone numbers and an address. Send the information however is easiest for you. If you have any of the information on the missing vamps with you, I could at least get started on trying to track them."

She laughs at him. "Just because we're werewolves doesn't mean we live in the middle of the wilderness with no internet access. I have some information in my backpack in the car. Come out to the car and I'll get that for you. I can email the rest when I get back to where we are staying. We have more stops to make so it won't be right away. I must warn as many of our family as possible. Thank you and please be careful. I don't want to have to add you to my list of missing."

They give each other an awkward hug. Beth stands in front of Josef and flashes her eyes at Katrina who smiles at her. "It was very nice to meet you Beth." Beth nods at her. Katrina waves to Josef over her shoulder as she leaves. "Josef, take care."

"You too." He answers. He knows Beth has her limits on good behavior and hugs her from behind.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Mick looks over the list of names that Katrina left with him. The list consists of three male vampires and two females. He notices that all are from California and not far from Los Angeles. One of the first things he'd better do is ask Josef if any of the names are familiar. Josef has more contact with the community and may even know some of them.

He thinks about the additional information that Katrina is going to send him. He has an idea on how to get more information than even she may have. He goes in search of Vanessa. She and Frank are getting ready to fly back to New York. "Vanessa?"

She turns and smiles at him. "Mick, what can I do for you?"

"I would like to have the information Damian gave you on the Romanov family blood lines. It could help me confirm how many are missing. A complete overview would be helpful."

Vanessa thinks about it for a minute. "I don't have it with me. It's in my safe in New York. I won't trust the mail with them, even the copies, but I can send them by secure curriers when I get back. Damian gave me four disks, one for each of the major bloodlines he had identified. I will send you a copy of the one on your family."

"Thank you." He turns to leave, and she stops him.

"Mick, there is information on children that have not been turned or even found. You must make sure that no one sees that but you, Beth, or Josef. Katrina has the right idea in staying away from them, so you don't lead anyone to them."

Mick nods. "I will. Believe me, between what's happened to me and Beth I understand the implications."

Vanessa nods and watches him leave and sees Josef standing behind him. She smiles at him. "Next?"

"I want permission to tell Beth about her connection to you when she asks and believe me after this she will ask. She's focused on Mick now but it's not going to take long, and she will be asking if I know anything about her. Vanessa, I can't lie to her, I won't lie to her."

Vanessa nods. "If she asks, that's fine. At this point there's not much point in trying to keep it from her. While we are discussing Beth, I want her to be trained by someone other than you. I have someone local in mind."

Josef gives her a sour look.

"Stop that. You know as well as I do that, she needs someone who has the same abilities. She needs someone who is fully understands what she's going to be capable of."

Josef takes a deep breath thinking of what Vanessa did to Richard. "What if I don't want her to have all the same abilities you do?"

Josef sees a look of hurt pass her face and he feels like a rat. "Vanessa, I'm sorry but Beth isn't you… I don't think it would be good for her to be able to do some of the things you can do."

"Josef, it took me more time than you've been on this earth to be able to do some of the things you've seen me do over the years. I want her to have a good foundation. Nothing fancy or even aggressive, basic things that you aren't going to be able to teach her."

"Vanessa, I'm sorry."

Vanessa kisses his cheek. "No need. I know you're looking out for her. Kind of like when I look out for you." She sighs. "Between you and Mick, you've taught her everything?"

Josef nods.

"The problem is, this is going to have to come from you. I don't think she's going to take to the idea right away. The bond you and Mick have with her is tight. She might be afraid that she will lose some of that security if a stranger is teaching her. You need to find a way to make her understand that it's time for someone else to take over. Just this little part of her training and nothing else is going to change. Talk to her about it and call me when you've gotten her to agree."

He smiles at her and gives her a hug. "I will."

Frank comes from the other room with his suitcase. "Packed?"

Vanessa nods and Frank takes both suitcases downstairs.

"I'll drive you to the airport." Josef offers.

Vanessa shakes her head. "No, I commandeered one of your security people. I hate long good-byes. Give me another hug and we'll be off."

Vanessa goes down to the car and finds Mick and Beth. Vanessa looks at Beth very sternly. "No more digging into strangers' heads, I mean it."

Beth nods shyly and gives Vanessa and Frank a hug. Everyone says good-bye and off to the airport they go. 

Xxxxxxxx

Edward walks across the crowded bar. He started coming here not long after getting to L.A. He likes it here. It's a mostly vamp crowd and he finds that he can stay anonymous for the most part. He likes to watch the crowd and now and then he meets a woman who interests him. Tonight, he sees one woman in particular who has piqued his interest. He buys her a drink and finds out her name is Salina and she allows him to buy her a few more drinks. Soon they are leaving the bar together. That is the last anyone sees of her.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Mick walks in the door of his office. He kept his office in town since most of his clientele knows him through that address and he does own the building. It seems silly to not use it just because he's not living next door anymore. He needs to admit to himself that it was his way of hedging his bets if moving in with Josef and Beth hadn't work out. He also thought there would be times when he was too busy to go to the house. It gives him a comfortable place to stay if he needs it. Beth and Josef both have keys so they can use it if they need to. It also gives them an alternative meeting place in an emergency.

Mick hasn't been in the office much lately. He took his first vacation ever while moving and adjusting to the new house. He cleared his calendar ahead of time. There was still a stack of mail and messages to go through. Not to mention the paperwork he let pile up while they were looking for a house. He sighs; it is time to get back to it. He sits down listens to his messages. Several are from people seeking his help in different situations. None of them seem to be anything dire.

Mick turns to his mail and begins sorting it. He gets to a large manila envelope at the bottom with the address pasted on in cut up letters out of a magazine. _Good grief, right out of the movies._ He scents the envelope. He sees the mailman and a jumble of scents. To many people have touched it along the way. He opens the envelope and shakes out the contents. Two black and white pictures fall on the desk. He involuntarily growls. One of the pictures is of a vamp, her fangs are in full view. She has a stake driven through her chest and her head has been cut off and is sitting next to her body. She is posed so her head is turned just enough so you can't tell who she is. The other picture is of a wolf that is; Mick guesses part way between shifting from one form to another. Her throat has been slit before the transformation could be completed. There is a large black blindfold over most of her face. Mick doesn't know much about wolves, especially werewolves but he thinks this is a female. The pictures are horrific. He has seen a lot of things in his life, but this is incomprehensible. This is personal and violent. This is someone who knows who and what he is or else they would not have sent the pictures to him. He picks up the phone and calls Josef at the office.

Rose, Josef's assistant tells him that Josef is in a conference call with his company head in Japan. She would rather not interrupt unless it can't wait. Mick knows that Josef has been putting things off just as he has so he is sure it is important. He tells Rose to tell Josef he called and to ask him to call Mick back as soon as he's done with his call.

Mick puts the pictures back in the envelope and dials one more number. He gets an answering machine, but he expected that. "Katrina, it's Mick. I have something I need to show you. It's important. I know it's the middle of the night but if you're still in the area I need to see you. If you're not, we can meet somewhere in the middle" He hangs up and hopes like hell that she gets the message soon.

Mick decides to go over to Josef's office and wait for Josef to get off the phone. He can't concentrate on his paperwork. The pictures are weighing heavily on his mind. 

Josef looks up and continues talking as Mick walks into his office. Mick goes over and pours himself a scotch and sits down to wait. One of Josef's freshies comes in as per Josef's schedule. He sees her and shakes his head and points to the phone and continues talking. He points to Mick sitting on the couch. The girl walks over and sits next to Mick and presents her arm. Mick smiles and softly rubs the underside of the girl's arm. He senses the beat of her heart and the flow of her blood. He lets his vamp go and feeds. After the pictures he needs a pick me up to reenergize himself. He has a feeling that this could be a long night.

Josef watches with approval as he talks. He's glad to see Mick has finally gotten all that monster business out of his system. He doesn't even hesitate to feed from the girl even if he doesn't take a lot. More like an evening snack. The girl leaves the room under her own power.

Josef finishes his call and sits back down at his desk. "So, what's so urgent that you couldn't even wait for me to call… or did you just come to snack and run?"

"Something came for me in the mail. Josef, it's bad. I don't even want it in my safe. If the wrong person gets their hands on it… I don't even want to think about it."

Mick throws the envelope down on the desk. Josef eyes the weird address and opens the envelope. The pictures come out on top of his desk. He looks them over. "Do you think this is related to Katrina's missing vamps and werewolves? Whoever sent these knows she came to you?"

"I don't know but I called and left a message for her already. I hate to have to show her these but maybe she can at least tell us if they are some of her missing people. I don't know though you can't see the vamps face. The wolf has her face covered, but maybe she will be able to see something I can't. Josef, somehow the one of the wolves is worse. She looks so helpless."

"You have no idea how awful. Mick, you only saw Sergey change under the best of circumstances. When they are hurt, or say tortured in their human form, they heal like any other human, poorly. The best solution for them is to try and turn into a wolf because they will almost instantly heal. The problem is when they are hurt and shifting to wolf form it takes longer. They are very vulnerable while they are shifting. Whoever did this… new exactly what she was and forced her to turn and then killed her while she was at her weakest."

Mick hears his phone ring and looks down at the unfamiliar number. "Hello?"

"Hey, St. John, check your mail yet?"

Mick looks at Josef and motions at his phone. Josef gets the message and calls Ryder.

"Ryder, Mick's got a real dangerous crazy on his phone right now. See what you can do about a trace."

"On it." And the line goes dead.

Josef watches Mick.

"Uh, yea. I got a lot of mail. I haven't had a chance to go through it though. Did you send me something specific?"

Mick hears a chuckle on the line. "Mick now don't try and tell me that my nice artwork on the address didn't attract your attention. Man, you must have seen the envelope and opened it. If you didn't maybe I should send copies to that little blond bombshell you and Kostan are banging. Maybe she would like to look them over."

Mick goes to Josef's desk and writes FIND BETH and Josef picks up the phone again.

"You know I doubt that you need to bother her with this. I have the envelope right here. Let me open it and see what you sent."

"Nice try. You go ahead and look. I'll call you back." And the caller is gone.

Josef hangs the phone up. "She's at the house and she promised to stay put. I told her that you and I were on our way home to talk to her. It was the only way I could make sure she wouldn't leave."

Josef's phone rings. "Boss, I needed more time. The guy must have been looking at a stopwatch because he hung up within a second or two of my finding him. All I can tell you is he's in the states somewhere."

"Thanks Ryder. You know the drill. Everybody's phones get the same treatment. I know it's a pain, but this guy is seriously deranged and he's killing our people. We need to find him."

"Got it." Ryder hangs up.

Josef grabs his suit coat. "Let's go see Beth and you can tell both of us what you know when we get there."

Mick's phone rings and he looks down and answers it. "Katrina?"

"Yea, Mick." She sounds sleepy. "You have something already? We got in late I was going to send you the information in the morning."

"Don't. I'm afraid my communications might be compromised. Are you still in the area?"

"Yea, Sergey and I haven't left LA yet. There are several of our people here."

"Can you and Sergey come out to the house right away?"

"I guess. Mick you sound Spooked."

"I am. Bring copies of whatever you want to give me and meet me us at the house. And Katrina, keep Sergey with you and be careful." Mick hangs up.

Josef turns to Mick. "You better call Beth and warn her Katrina is coming out in case she gets there before we do."

Mick snorts. "Not a bad idea. I saw the way Beth looked at her the other night. On the way you can tell me the story behind that, since you told Beth something."

**Xxxxxxxxx**

**Comments are always welcome. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Moonlight doesn't belong to me. It's just a place I go to play.**

xxxxxxxxxxx

Nicky looked down at the picture of his mother. She was so beautiful. He would spend hours looking at the picture of her. She had the same hazel eye and dark wavy hair he does. She was so beautiful. He wishes more than anything he could remember her. He tries so hard to try and remember anything; some small detail but there is nothing. He stares down at the picture until his eyes burn trying to retrieve any small memory of a woman he never knew. All he has was the picture. One of them killed her. He doesn't know if it was a vampire or a werewolf, but one of them killed her and he is going to make them all pay for her death.

Nicky first discovered vampires and werewolves through Edward and Toby. They have no idea of their power, but he d0es, and he uses it as his tool for vengeance for what their kind did to his mother. They killed the most important woman in his life, and he will kill the most important women in all their lives. He will make all of them feel what he felt, the overwhelming pain and emptiness.

Bringing St. John into the mix may be a mistake. The problem is from the moment he saw the P.I.'s picture online in the back issue of the L.A. Times he was drawn to him. It happens sometimes with some vamps and werewolves. Sometimes it is men and sometimes women, but they feel like they should be part of his world. He doesn't understand it, but he accepts it. In the end they never made any difference. He killed the woman as he always had, and the men, he left in his wake to feel the pain he felt at the loss of their women. St. John would be no different. St. John ma try to stop him. Stopping his vengeance has proven over and over to be impossible for those that have tried.

Nicky goes back to his laptop. He scans the local newspapers and internet for any information he can find on St. John. Since Nicky's compelled to bring him into this, he is also compelled to find out whatever he can about him. He's already found out so much. He doesn't even mind reading the same information twice. St. John is interesting. It is fun doing research on one of them. They are always so secretive and so careful but in the age of the internet if you know where to look nothing is a secret. Vampires are no different in one respect from humans and werewolves, they all liked to gossip. If you have enough money and use the right code words you can find out quite a bit. Especially about someone so well regarded in their community. St. John is a local celebrity and a bit of a puzzle to the local vampire community. For a vampire he is a strange mix. From all accounts he is a nice guy P.I., helper of human and vampire alike. Nicky hasn't found many vampires who would help a human across the road unless it was to give a pint. He reads with great interest the stories about St. John trying to save the A.D.A. several years back.

The gossip is even more interesting. It seems that St. John had been off fresh blood for several years. There was lots of talk about that. The speculation is whatever turned him away from drinking live, is the same thing that brought him back. Then there is the rampant speculation about his friendship with Josef Kostan and his relationship with Beth Turner. It seems the three of them have moved to a new home and are living together. The speculation is interesting. Everything from nightly orgies to a friendship based on a power sharing. Kostan is the front man, but they all share the power of running the West Coast and Asia. More talk they are about to move on the council. Rumors all, but fun to read.

He decides he needs more information on Kostan and the Turner woman. Kostan is her sire but gossip is that she and St. John had a relationship for years. The more he finds out about Kostan the more he realizes he will have to watch out for the old vamp. He reads over and over about what Kostan does to those who cross his path and make him mad. Nicky will have to make sure he doesn't allow the old one to get his hands on him.

Nicky finally finds a picture of Beth and he is even more intrigued. He smiles when he thinks of that little fluff of blond that those two have all to themselves. He figures that whatever the relationship, they both are sleeping with her. She is too delicious to pass up. Man, what he wouldn't give to have her in his bed. He'd show her those two don't have a clue about what is fun. She'd be begging for more by the time he was done with her. Of course, then he would have to kill her, but they'd have a grand time until then. Maybe he will have Toby call her and see if he can get to her that way. Since she already has two vampires maybe a werewolf would interest her.

Xxxxxxxx

Beth hears someone knocking at the door. She yells at Robert that she will get it. She opens it to find Katrina and Sergey. She smiles. She's decided to let the past rest if Katrina stays the hell away from Josef. "Come on in. Mick called and said that he and Josef were on their way. I don't know what happened, but Mick sounded terrible. Something is bothering him."

Katrina nods. "I got the same feeling from him when he asked us to meet him here."

Beth leads them into the den they met in two nights ago. She turns. "I admit I have no idea about your people but if you tell me what you'd like I can try and get you something. We do have a lot of human food around if you're hungry. Do you eat human food?"

Katrina relaxes. Whatever problems she was afraid of having with Beth, it seems she has decided to put the past away. Sergey steps forward and takes Beth's hands in his. "Thank you. That is kind of you, but we are fine." He looks deep in her eyes.

Beth and Katrina glance at each other and both start to laugh. Sergey looks at them sheepishly and drops her hands. "Well it was worth a try."

Josef and Mick pick that moment to come through the door. "Sergey touch her again and there will be one less Romanov to worry about."

Sergey steps back. "But my friend you have such a beauty here and you know my weakness for beautiful women." He looks at Mick and Josef who both flash fangs at him. He holds up his hands. "I will behave. Besides the two of them are standing here laughing at me. My ego can't take much more of this."

Katrina becomes serious as she sees Mick's face. "What have you found?"

Mick taps the envelope against the desk in front of him. "I don't want to show you these, but I don't see any way around it. Before I hand them over, I need to prepare you. They are horrible." He goes to on to explain to everyone what is in the envelope. "Katrina if you can identify the victims it might help to see if these are connected to the people you are looking for. This could be another problem all together."

Katrina nods as Mick takes the pictures out of the envelope and hands them to her one by one. She and Sergey sit close and go over both pictures. When they are done, she looks up with tears in her eyes. "They are terrible, and I can't tell you if they are some of my missing people or not."

Mick sighs. "I was afraid of that. He purposely made it so we couldn't tell who they are."

Mick takes the pictures back and puts them back in the envelope. He hands them to Josef. "Can you put them in the safe?" Josef nods and Beth follows him to his study. He spins the dial on the safe and opens it. He senses Beth behind him. "I want to see them."

He shakes his head. "There is no need."

"Josef... if you and Mick don't stop patting me on the head like a two-year-old, I'm going to start staking both of you."

"Beth, what's the point? They are horrible bloody pictures of dead bodies. I would not want anyone to see them." He sees the look in her eye and sighs. "I'm not going to be able to change your mind, am I?"

Beth shakes her head and looks down at her feet. "It feels like a slight. Like you don't think enough of me to include me, don't think I'm smart enough to be of any help."

Her words make him feel terrible. "I'm sorry." He tilts her head up. "You know that's not it. I don't want those images in your head." He sees fire starting to smolder in her eyes. "I know it sounds condescending. I can't help it and I don't mean it that way."

He takes her hand and they go over and sit on the couch. He opens the envelope and hands her the pictures. Beth studies them. Josef watches the dispassionate way in which she disconnects herself from the people in the pictures. She hands the pictures back and wordlessly he puts them back in the envelope. Josef deposits them in the safe and spins the dial. He takes her hand and they had back to the join the group.

Mick is handing Katrina a glass of water and she's pulling herself together.

Mick sits on the couch and watches the group. "There's more."

"More pictures?" The alarm clearing sounding through her voice as Katrina asks the question.

Mick shakes his head. "No. Thankfully no more pictures. Whoever is responsible for this called me on my cell phone."

They sit in stunned silence.

Mick takes a breath and continues. "I'd gone to Josef's office to show him the pictures when the call came though. Josef has an electronics expert named Ryder who he called immediately. Unfortunately, this person, he sounded like a man, knows something about electronics. At least enough that he cut the connection seconds before Ryder could find him. All Ryder could tell us is the guy is in the states somewhere."

"Is that why you wanted me to bring you copies and not email you the information?"

"Yes, this is too sensitive for email. It's not like my more mundane cases. My system is secure, I employee Ryder to make sure of it but I would feel better if it wasn't going through the internet."

Katrina nods and pulls a couple of disks out of her small backpack. "Here is a copy of everything I have on Romanov's on both sides. Please Mick, be very careful with it."

Mick nods. "I will. When I'm not using it, I'll keep it with the photos in our safe here at the house." Josef and Mick glance at each other and Josef shrugs. "Katrina there is something else you should know. I'm going to have access to some research that someone on our side was doing in tracing bloodlines. Vanessa knew who I was before you showed up at the house asking to see me. She came into possession of the research a few months ago. She thought my having more information wasn't necessary, until this whole thing forced the issue."

"Maybe whoever she got the research material from is doing this?" Katrina asks hopefully.

Mick shakes his head. "No. He's dead. Vanessa took care of him personally. It was time and he knew it and passed the material on to her so it wouldn't fall to the wrong people. Now, that isn't to say that he may not have had a research assistant and I will check on that, but Damian is dead."

"Have you seen the information yet? Do you know how detailed it is, if it mentions my people at all?"

Mick shakes his head. "I haven't. I'm hoping it will be here sometime today. I'll let you know what I find."

Beth feels bad for Katrina. The life seems to have drained out of her. Beth clears her throat and can't believe she's going to say this but does it anyway. "You know this has been pretty hard on you. Would the two of you like to rest in one of our guest rooms before you leave? If you would tell me what you might like to eat, I could get the chef to make you something and that might help as well."

Josef smiles to himself. Beth never could hold a grudge for long.

Katrina shakes her head. "No, this means we have to move that much quicker to warn people and try and find out who this is."

Beth shrugs. "You're not going to do anyone much good if you're out on your feet."

Katrina stands "Werewolves have pretty good stamina. Thank you very much though."

Mick follows them to the door and promises to keep in touch with anything more he finds out.

Josef walks across and takes Beth in his arms. "That was nice of you."

Beth looks at him warily. "Well she looks terrible. The worry must be wearing on her. Besides, if she stays away from you and Mick, she has nothing to fear from me."

Josef smiles. "Yes, and speaking of which why do I keep seeing Sergey flirting with you?"

Beth laughs. "I suspect he's a notorious womanizer and he can't help himself. Kind of like someone else I know."

Josef grins and kisses her. "You can't be talking about me, especially these days."

Mick walks back in after showing them out. "Thanks Beth."

"I was telling Josef I felt bad for her. The constant worry is a hard thing to live with. Until we find out one way or the other weather her missing people are dead or alive, she's not going to get any peace."

Mick goes over to the computer at the desk and unplugs the internet connection from the back. Josef watches and shakes his head. "You're starting to worry me. You're becoming more paranoid than I am." 

Mick shrugs. "I have this bad feeling and I'm not taking any chances. Having a serial killer call your phone will do that."

Beth realizes why Josef called her on the landline. "He mentioned me, didn't he?"

Mick nods. "He was goading me, asking me if I had opened my mail yet. I played dumb and he said he might send copies to you if I wasn't interested. He also made crude comments about our living arrangement. He's obviously checked me out and knows about you and Josef."

Beth sighs. She knows what that look in his eyes means. "One serial killer mentions my name and now I can't leave the house without a bodyguard." She looks from one to the other. "You've already decided, haven't you?"

Josef nods and moves towards her. Beth shakes her head and backs up. "I hate this. It's not fair."

She starts to get angry because she's not a Romanov. That is who he's targeting and then she realizes she doesn't know which bloodline she is part of.

Josef watches her. He knows the instant the question solidifies in her mind. She turns to them questioningly. "Which bloodline? I'm not a Romanov, am I?"

Mick shrugs, "Not that I know of."

Beth looks at Josef and knows right away he knows something. "Josef?"

At the look on her face Mick turns to Josef as well. Josef rolls his eyes. "No, you're not a Romanov. I told her I wouldn't lie to you but like Mick, Vanessa didn't think you needed the information until later."

Beth smiles. "But you're going to tell me, aren't you?"

Josef shakes his head and laughs. "Maybe. We'll see." And he leaves the room.

Beth smiles and watches him leave. She looks at a smiling Mick. "He'll tell me."

Mick has no doubt she's right. Mick smiles as she follows Josef out of the room.

Mick goes to the desk and sits down at the computer and puts the first disk in and starts to make notes on vamps in the L.A. area. He can start there and work his way outward checking to see if any of them have gone on a killing spree or are dead.

Xxxxxxx

Josef knows Beth is behind him and he decides it's time for a walk. They haven't had an evening walk in a long time.

Beth sees him waiting for her outside on the lawn. "How about a walk?"

Beth nods. "I loved it when we use to do that. It's such a nice way to end an evening."

Josef agrees. "Sill mad?"

Beth shrugs. "No, I guess not. We've been having this argument for years. There's no use rehashing it again. I don't have to like it, but I'll live with it for now."

"Good. You know now that we're settled again, we can go for walks now and then."

Beth stops and he looks back at her. "Come on. I'll tell you what you want to know."

"Before you do, do you think Vanessa is right and I shouldn't know until later?"

Josef thinks about it for a minute. "No, not really. With Mick I could understand it when she told me he was part of the Romanov's. That whole bloodline is so complicated with the werewolves that I could see her point."

He continues. "You have to remember the age difference in yourself anyone you know who is in your family tree. Unless Vanessa's information isn't up to date, you're the youngest of all, right now."

Beth nods. "If you think it's ok then go ahead and tell me."

Josef laughs.

Beth looks at him quizzically. "What's so funny?"

"You are. If I had flat refused to tell you, you would have thrown a fit. When I offer to tell you, you pause and ask me if I think you should know." He laughs again. "I love you. Your crazy."

Beth smiles at him and makes a motion for him to keep going.

"Beth, think about it, who has gifts that most resemble your own?"

Beth's smiles "Vanessa?"

Josef nods. "Both of us. Likely, if I had not turned you, Vanessa would have come to you and offered you the choice. She keeps track of her descendants. It's why she came to me and offered me the chance."

They walk a long in silence for a while. Beth circles back around to the house. "I'm going to turn in. It's been a long night."

Josef starts to answer her, and he sees the gate swing open and a Porsche come through the gate. Instinctively he puts himself in front of Beth as the driver pulls up and gets out.

Josef sees Angel get out of the car. She walks towards him and waves.

Josef sticks out his hand. "You're a long way from home." She nods and shakes his hand.

Beth steps out from behind Josef. Angel smiles at Beth. "You probably don't remember me from the night Josef and Mick were attacked in New York."

Beth squints. "A little. You're the New York cleaner."

"Yes, and Josef is right. I'm a long way from home. Vanessa sent me. I need to see Mick."

Josef nods and they head into the house.

Mick looks up in surprise. "Hey Angel. What are you doing here?"

Vanessa sent me. She's paying me a hefty fee to make sure this gets from point A to point B and no trouble in between. I even got to fly on the council's private jet. Pretty nice doing currier work for Vanessa." Angel hands the heavily padded envelope to Mick.

Angel turns to leave, and Josef stops her. "Surly you can stop and have a bite and a nap before you go back."

She shakes her head. "Nope. There are provisions on the plane, and I'll sleep there as well. Thanks, but I need to get back. I don't like being away from my crew too long. If anyone besides Vanessa had asked me to do this, I would have said no but I like her. She kicks some serious ass when she's pissed. I admire that about her."

Mick and Josef glance at each other. "That she does."

Mick stands up and shakes her hand. "Well thank you very much for bringing this such a long way. It's important."

Angel turns and Beth watches as she climbs in the Porsche and drives away into the night. Beth turns to Mick and Josef. "Now I'm going to bed." She kisses them both and heads for her freezer.

Once Mick is sure that she's upstairs he looks at Josef. "Two things. First off I need you to look at these names of vamps that Katrina thinks are missing and see if you know any of them."

"Josef looks over the list of five names. I know two of the men but neither of the women. In fact, I spoke to Dylan last week. When I go into the office tonight, I'll look them up in my files and get you any info I can on where they might be. I think Dylan; the one I talk to last week is in Bangkok. I'll try and call him."

Mick nods. "It would be nice to be able to tell Katrina that at least one or two of them have been found and are alive. Now on to the other thing I wanted to talk to you about. You showed Beth the pictures, didn't you?"

Josef shrugs. "She didn't leave me any choice. She accused me of being condescending and not thinking she was smart enough to help."

Mick shakes his head. "She should know better than that. Just because we don't want her to see terrible pictures of dead bodies..."

Josef sits on the couch across from Mick. "Well, she has a point. When she lived with you, didn't you let her help investigate? Hell, you even took her into Coraline's that time looking for Elaina and her mother."

"But what does that have to do with pictures of dead vamps and werewolves."

"She accused us of patting her on the head and treating her like a two-year-old."

Mick looks offended. "I don't do that."

"Yes, you do. We both do. We always try and decide for her what is acceptable and what isn't. We've had excuses over the years, like it was dangerous because she was human. Then she was a fledgling and what's our excuse now, it's not nice? She's been doing crime reports for how long? She's seen how many dead bodies. How many times did the two of you meet in the morgue in the middle of the night?"

Mick sits back in the chair. "I see your point. Does that mean you think we shouldn't make her take a bodyguard if one of us isn't with her when she leaves home?'

Josef shakes his head. "No. I can't go that far. Can you?"

"No. We can't have a serial killer out there who knows who she is."

"I agree. She's registered her protest but agreed that arguing about it again is pointless and she will do as we ask. But I can recognize that we need to stop deciding for her what information she is privy too. By the way, she and I are both in Vanessa's bloodline."

Mick nods. "I figured as much. Beth and Vanessa have too many of the same abilities even if Beth's are in the baby stages."

Josef smiles. "I can't believe I'm going to say this but if she asks something, we should always tell her. Unless there is a valid reason for her not to know and protecting her from the truth isn't really a valid reason."

Mick smiles. "Alright but if she starts having nightmares, I get to sleep with her to chase away the demons."

Josef laughs. "Now wait a minute."

Xxxxxxxxx

**Comments are always welcome. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Moonlight doesn't belong to me. It's just a place I go to play. **

Xxxxx

Beth gets up and finds Robert in the kitchen going over the household finances. "Robert, have you seen Mick or Josef yet?"

Robert looks up. "Josef went into the office and I don't think Mick has moved since last night."

Beth sighs. "He's still in the den sitting at the computer?"

Robert nods. "I don't think he's even eaten." Robert sees the determination in her eyes and pities Mick.

Beth turns and heads for the den. Sure, enough there is Mick still sitting at the computer but now he has his head down on the desk. Beth walks over and shakes him. He looks up at her. "Must have dozed off." And he starts back to the computer.

"Mick go feed and then get to bed. I can't believe your still sitting here."

He shakes his head. "No. Have to get through these files."

"I'll do it. I'm better at research than you are, anyway. If you don't want to go out see the girls, I'll bring you a glass, but you've got to get something in you and get some sleep. You're not learning anything useful in this condition anyway."

He sees her point and gets up wearily. "I'll go to bed."

"Sit for a minute. I'll be right back." Beth goes over to the bar and pours him a glass of A positive and hands it to him. Drink this up and then go to bed."

He does as he's told and starts to shut the computer down and put the disks away and Beth stops him. "I repeat. I'm better at research than you are."

"Ok, but if you decide to quiet, these go in the safe. They can't be left out, even here."

"I promise. Now go to bed."

He kisses her and waves as he leaves the room.

Beth sits down and tries to make sense of his notes and decides to start from scratch. She and Mick have always gone at problems from different directions. It's helpful if one of them is stuck. She starts looking at the two files. She sees Damian's files are more thorough on the vamps, but he doesn't include any information on the werewolves. She has no idea how long-ago Damian started compiling these records. He could have had a huge jump on Katrina. Beth makes a copy of Damian's file and then decides to see what Katrina that Damian has doesn't and add hers in to Damian's. Idly Beth wonders if Damian could have lived that long and not known about the werewolves. Maybe he didn't care. She concentrates on the vamps first. That's where Katrina has the largest holes in her knowledge base. She gets the files combined minus the wolves and starts looking for patterns. Something beyond the fact that the slain vampires have a common family tree. She sighs. This could take a very long time.

Beth is deep into the file when Mick's forgotten phone starts to ring on the desk. Beth doesn't think much about it and answers. "Hello?"

"Hey beautiful."

Beth looks at the phone and wonders if this is their killer. "Who is this? Mick isn't available now. I can take a message if you'd like."

"Why would I leave a message when I could talk to you instead? You have to be more interesting than St. John."

Beth decides that maybe she can keep him on the line if she gives him her best airhead impression. "Do I know you? You sound cute."

"No, we haven't met but we will. I'd love he chance to fuck you."

At this point Beth decides to chuck the airhead routine. This guy is too much of a jerk. Option B is to piss him off and keep him on the line that way.

"Wow your smooth. What a charming personality you have."

"It's not my personality you'll be begging for."

Beth laughs into the phone. "Somehow I highly doubt that. Guys like you are a dime a dozen; all talk and no dick."

"I'll show you, you little bitch."

As Beth answers him she sees Mick enter the room.

"Not one chance in a million. You're a born looser. You've probably never had a woman in your life. To busy doing it with plastic blow up dolls." Beth laughs into the phone.

She can hear the anger in his voice.

"I'll show you, bitch."

Mick realizes who she's talking to and before she can get away from him, he's taken the phone from her.

"Hello?"

"Mick? You tell that little bitch of yours she'll be begging for it by the time I'm done with her." Mick narrows his eyes at Beth and shakes her head.

"I'm here now. I'll talk to you. Leave Beth out of it."

"To late for that now."

Despite himself Mick growls into the phone.

The voice laughs. "She should have been nice to me. Stupid bitch."

Mick scowls at Beth and he sees her shrug. Mick decides to try and change the subject. "I got the pictures you sent. We never did get a chance to talk about that. Nice Halloween dummies, but why send them to me?"

Mick hears more anger in the voice. "You and I both know that those are not dummies."

"Oh, I don't know. I mean with today's technology anyone can fake a picture. Hell, with the right software you can even make vampires and werewolves seem real."

"I tell you those are real!" He screams

"Prove it. Tell me where the bodies are, and I'll go there and check it out."

Dead silence from the phone and Mick smiles _Gottcha_

"You think about it and get back to me." Mick snaps his phone shut.

Mick looks at Beth. "Don't ever answer my phone again." He sees the look on her face and realizes that he went one step to far.

He watches as she narrows her eyes at him.

Beth doesn't even trust herself to speak. She turns and walks out the door, slamming it hard behind her.

Mick's phone begins to ring. He looks down and answers it.

"Ryder?"

"Mick, he stayed on long enough for me to find out he's using a throw away phone. If he keeps using disposables, I can't do anything about tracing him. He could be around the corner and we wouldn't know it."

"Thanks Ryder. Keep it up. Maybe he'll slip up. Hey, Ryder, make sure you're keeping track of Beth's phone. She spoke to him for a few minutes and I'm afraid he may try and contact her on her phone."

"We'll do." Ryder hangs up.

Robert opens the door and tries to open and close it. He looks at Mick questioningly. "Pretty good. Usually only Josef pisses her off that bad." Robert keeps wiggling the door. "Damn, she sprung the hinges. I'll have to go get a screwdriver and try and see if I can fix it." He turns to Mick. "You better do something."

"I know." Mick removes the disks from the desk and places them in the safe. He reaches out for Beth and can't sense her.

_"Beth?"_

Silence.

Mick starts to worry that she's taken off. He speeds out to the front of the house and sees her car is still there. He calls to the garage. "Jack?"

"Yea."

Mick sighs, "Please lock the keys up."

Jack closes his eyes. "Beth on a tear?"

"Maybe. Not sure until I find her."

"I saw her headed for the lake house."

Mick nods. "Thanks. I'll check down there."

Mick walks down and to find a complete duplicate of the house she had by the lake at their old house. Since they already had the plans from the first one this one went up easy. She decorated as it was before, even using most of the same furnishings. Mick smiles when he thinks of the look on Josef's face when he told Mick what she wanted. Josef was so pleased. She loved the house he had given her the first time that she was essentially taking it with her.

Mick walks up on the porch and knocks. He senses her inside even if she's not answering.

_"Beth?"_

Silence.

_"Beth, please talk to me."_

Silence

_"You know I'm sorry."_

_"Go to hell."_

_"Beth, can I come in?" _ It would be nothing to pop the lock, but he had to respect her wishes. Just because he can do something didn't mean he should. He goes over and sits on the top step of the porch and tries to decide what to do.

Beth sits on the bed. She knows Mick is outside, but she also knows he won't enter the house unless she allows it. It is the one thing they all try to do, respect each other's boundaries. He might sit out there all night, but he won't come into the house.

Beth hears her phone ring and without looking at the name picks it up. "Mick, I'm not talking to you right now."

"Hey Beth, you can talk to me." Beth thinks she recognizes the voice as the same one she spoke to earlier, but something is different.

"Hey there." It's all she can think to say. Almost instantly she's up and out the front door. Mick looks up at her and she points to her phone. He closes his eyes and nods.

"You know, I never did get your name when I talked to you before."

"Silly, you didn't talk to me before."

Beth scrunches her nose at Mick. "Do I know you? What's your name?"

Beth hears a laugh. "I'm Toby and I want to be your friend. Who is Mick? Not your boyfriend, I hope. Was Mick being mean to you?"

Beth shrugs her shoulders at Mick. "He's just cranky. He'll get over it. Toby are you sure I haven't talked to you before?"

"No. I thought if you were nice you might talk to me. I found your number on a piece of paper in my wallet. I thought I met you at a club."

"I'll talk to you. I always like to make new friends. You know, if you like we could meet and have a coke or something."

Beth hears Toby laugh. "You don't drink coke. You're a vampire. It says so on the paper."

"Now Toby who believes in vampires? That's crazy talk. Why would you think I'm a vampire?"

"Uh oh, I have to go." Beth looks at the phone as it goes dead and then up at Mick.

Mick looks across the porch at Beth. "I'm sorry I yelled at you but the idea of you talking on the phone to a serial killer makes me a little crazy. Especially when it sounds like you're insulting him and arguing with him."

"I know but you knew I was on his radar anyway since he mentioned me in his first call. This call was weird. Come on in and we'll talk about it."

Beth goes over and pours herself a drink. "Can I get you something?"

Mick shakes his head. He wants to question her about the call while it's fresh in her mind. "Tell me about the call. Was it the same person you spoke to earlier?"

Beth crosses the room and sits across from him, her anger forgotten in the quest for their quarry. "I think it was. I'm pretty sure but the call was so different. When I spoke to the first guy, he sounded so crude, like a jerk with a huge chip on his shoulder. This sounded like a young guy. It was very odd. The voice sounded pretty much the same but the way they two spoke and the words they used were very different. I just don't know. He said that his name was Toby and that he hadn't spoken to me before. He said I was a vamp, but I told him that was crazy. The whole thing was weird."

Mick flips his phone out and punches up Ryder's number. "Ryder, are you taping these calls?"

"No, but it would be very easy to do."

"Better do it then. We've got two voices and we can't tell if it's two separate people or not. If I give you a call and tell you which calls, I'm interested in can you do a voice match and tell me if they are the same person?"

"I can't but Logan should have the equipment."

Mick smiles at the disdain he hears in Ryder's voice. "If we get two calls to compare, I can get a hold of Logan and ask him about it if you want."

"No Mick, it's okay. I'll do it. If he can't I'll find someone who can. It's just that he's every geek stereo type all rolled up into one basement."

Mick smiles. "I know but he's good."

Ryder snorts. "At some things and by the way, the call that Beth just took was from the same throw away."

"Thanks Ryder." He hangs up.

He turns back to Beth. "If they both call back, we can do a comparison and try and figure out what is going on."

Beth narrows her eyes at him. "Mick, how did you figure out where I was? I'm far enough from the house you couldn't sense me."

He doesn't answer and he can feel the anger building again. "You thought I was going to take off and you called Jack to have him lock up the keys and he told you he saw me coming down here."

"You have been known to do some rash things when you're mad." He tells her weakly.

She stands up. "I told you and Josef I wouldn't leave unless I had one of you or the security guys with me but that's not good enough." Beth points to the door before he can say anything. "Mick, just go back to the house."

He starts to leave and before he turns, he takes two long strides across the room and kisses her on the cheek. "I love you and I'm sorry, but I worry for your safety."

"Mick, stop it."

"What?" He looks at her as innocently as he can manage.

"You know what. You look at me with those sad puppy dog eyes and I can't stay mad at you."

He smiles softly at her. "Is it working?"

"I suppose." She concedes.

He holds out his hand to her. "Then come up to the house."

"You're afraid if I stay down here, I'm going to get mad all over again."

Mick nods. "Please come back to the house. It's late. You're going to want your freezer soon anyway."

She takes his hand a little reluctantly he thinks but she takes it all the same and they walk to the house.

Xxxxxxx

Frank picks up his phone and answers it. "Mick?"

"Hi, Yea, it's me. Hey, I was wondering if you could check on something for me?"

"Something here in New York?"

"Yes, but more importantly, something to do with Damian and The Order."

"You know that I'm not part of that anymore."

"I know, Josef told me, but I figure you are bound to still have some contacts."

"Some... Mick what do you need?"

"I need to know who was helping Damian on his research into the different bloodlines. If he wasn't doing it alone can you try and check the person who was helping him. Make sure they aren't out here killing werewolves and vampires."

Frank sighs. "You don't want much do you?"

"Frank, it's important. Somebody dropped off a packet of pictures to my office. A dead vamp and a dead werewolf and let me tell you it they are the thing of nightmares. This is guy is very disturbed and isn't going to quit. He's also started calling me and Beth."

"Vanessa is going to be unhappy about that. How is Josef taking the idea that a killer is calling Beth?"

"Hopefully better than I did but I doubt it. He doesn't know yet. It just started and neither of us has seen him yet. I'm not looking forward to telling him."

Frank snorts. "I don't blame you. Make Beth do it. Maybe he'll take it better from her."

Mick laughs. "For several reasons that's not a bad idea. Can you check on this for me?"

"Yes, but it's going to take me a few days. I'll call you as soon as I know anything one way or the other."

"Thanks Frank. We think whoever is doing this, is killing only Romanov's. If that's what's going on, they need to be someone who has access to the either Damian's research or Katrina's."

"Ok, I'll call when I have something." Frank hangs up.

Mick's next call is to The Cleaner. "Hey, Victoria, how are you?"

"I'm fine but you still owe me a drink. I told you I know the score. Especially since I hear you moved to a new place."

Mick isn't sure exactly what to say. He shrugs to himself. He did tell her he would buy her a drink. "Ok, I'll call you later in the week. I'm kind of tied up with a case right now."

"Alright but I'm holding you to it. Now what did you need?"

"I'm trying to trace three vamps that might be dead. I was wondering if you'd cleaned any of them up or knew anything about them. I have one male named Raymond Billings and two females. One named Abigail Werther and the other Tracy Cummings."

"You know that some of my information has to stay confidential."

"Yea, and that's fine. All I care about is weather these vamps are alive or dead. I won't ask you who killed any of them. I will tell you we may have a serial killer of vamps on our hands. If you know, you may want to either check it out or tell me so I can."

"Well, let's say that I spoke to your missing male in the last two weeks and he is not dead to my knowledge. What I will do for you is contact him and make sure that it is still the case and let you know. As for the women, the Cummings woman is dead. I don't know how she got that way or who got her that way, but she was found, and I was called. The other woman I have no idea about at this moment. How's that?"

"Sounds good. I appreciate this. I would like to hear that Raymond is alive. If you hear anything about or from Abigail, please let me know. When you speak to Raymond please tell him to be careful. He may be in some danger and if he wants more information, he can call me."

"Great. I'll call you when I have something, and you can tell me when you're going to meet me for a drink."

"Thanks Victoria. I appreciate it."

Xxxxxxxxx

Mick finds Beth at the computer in the den working through the files.

"I didn't get a chance to tell you last night that thanks to your chatting up our killer. Ryder managed to at least find out the guy is using a throw away phone. Tracing him becomes tough unless he slips up. The thing is, I think the guy is close. He didn't call until I went to the office. Those pictures had to have been mailed a few days ahead. I've been out of the office for a few weeks and yet he called not long after I was in the office. It makes me think he is watching the office. I need to check out the neighborhood but if he is watching I don't want to spook him. If I'm right, it may be easier to catch him if he's close."

Beth smiles. "I have an idea..."

Mick rolls his eyes. "Do I want to hear this?"

"Sure. Come on. We'll go to the office and maybe while we're out front, we'll have a fight. I'll walk off and you can follow me all the while arguing with me and we can check out the area around the office. I'll stop to argue with you every so often and you can check things out without being too conspicuous. Besides if he's watching the creep will sympathize with you. He's sure I'm such a terrible bitch."

Mick nods. "It might work."

Beth turns back to the computer. "Let me burn these files I've been working on to another disk and we'll put them all in the safe and go look. Maybe while we're in town we can go see Josef. I'd like to pop in and say hi. We've missed each other the last couple of days."

Mick nods. "We can do that."

Beth and Mick park on the street in front of the office. They get out of the car and Beth starts bitching at him about not letting her drive. She continues until they get in the elevator and then she smiles and kisses him. Mick grabs her and lets out a small growl. He's so relieved that she's not mad at him anymore. "One of these days..." he says as he kisses her.

Beth arches an eyebrow at him. "In the elevator? Hhhhhmmmm. Interesting idea."

Mick grins at her as the doors open and they head for his office.

**Xxxxxxxxxxx**

**Comments are always welcome. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Moonlight doesn't belong to me. It's just a place I go to play.**

**xxxxxxxxxx**

Josef opens the file he has on the desk in front of him. The file is on, one Dylan Green. Josef smiles. If that isn't one of the most generic American names he's ever seen, almost as good as John Smith. Well, the idea is to blend into the surroundings. Josef picks up the phone and calls the Bangkok number he has for Dylan. Josef hears the connection being made.

"Hello?"

"Dylan, it's Josef. How are you?"

Dylan squints into the distance wondering what Josef is up to. Josef never calls without a good reason. Dylan is a low-level mover and shaker compared to Josef. When Josef calls it usually ends up being a pretty good payday for everyone involved.

"Josef, I'm fine."

Josef smiles as the silence stretches out for a moment. He knows this is out of character and Dylan is wondering what is going on. Josef decides to let him off the hook.

"I heard a rumor that you were dead. I thought I would check it out since I talked to you last week."

Dylan is relieved. Dealing with Josef can be tricky and hazardous, very profitable but hazardous. "Really? Me? Naw, I'm fine and dandy. Working a couple of deals in Bangkok. Josef is that really why you called?"

"It is. St. John is working a case that involves a couple of different vamps and someone thought you were dead. I told him I would check it out. Nice to hear you're among the undead. You haven't seen Riley McKay in Bangkok while you've been there, have you?"

"No, but I did see Riley two weeks ago at the Hilton in Shanghai. They may have a forward for him."

"Thanks Dylan. I'll check it out. He was also mentioned on the list as a possible dead vamp."

"Wow. Hope he's as dead as I am. Riley's good guy for the most part."

"Thanks. And be careful." Josef hangs up.

Josef calls the Hilton in Shanghai and the speaks to the front desk. The women tells him Riley McKay has checked back in after being away for two weeks. Josef asks to be connected to his room.

"Riley, it's Josef Kostan."

"Really?" Riley can't believe this. Kostan is big time and he never gets to talk to guys like that. He wonders if he can find a way to do Kostan a favor to show him he can be useful. It would be awfully nice if he can be of service to him some day and make some real money in the process. "What can I do for you Mr. Kostan?"

"A friend of mine, Mick St. John is working on a case and your name came up. Someone thought you and Dylan Green were dead. I talked to Dylan and he's fine and he said he saw you in Shanghai a couple weeks ago. I thought I'd check and see if you were still among the undead as well."

"Yea, I'm fine. Is there anything else I can do for you Mr. Kostan?" Riley tries to not sound desperate, just helpful.

Josef smiles at the tone of voice. "I'll tell you what, I'll put you through to my secretary. You can give her your information and if I need anything that pertains to your qualifications, I'll give you a call. How's that?"

"That would be great. Thank you very much."

"No problem. Oh, and Riley, be careful." Josef puts him on hold. He signals Rose and then puts Billy through to her. A little good will to a guy like Riley, makes everyone much more eager to be of service when the time comes.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

They walk down to his office door and Mick holds his finger to his lips. He points to the office door and Beth sees that it's ajar. Slowly he opens the door and sees that his office has been ransacked. Mick goes over the entire office and comes up with faint traces of a human. He wonders how long ago this happened.

"Did you sense anything?" Beth asks hopefully.

Mick starts to tell her what he's sensed but stops and looks to the door that leads to the apartment next door.

Beth sits on the floor and starts sorting through the files. "Well, let's start picking up. I'm guessing you're not going to call the cops."

Mick starts to tell her no but stops and holds his finger up to his lips again.

She nods and watches as he pulls out his key for the adjoining door and pushes it. He enters the apartment, and everything seems fine in there. His vinyl collection is intact and that's the last thing of any real value in the apartment. He has duplicates of most of it on CDs, so he took those to the new house and left the vinyl here. He goes over to the bookcase and finds a small black box. He adjusts the dial on the top. He walks around the apartment and decides that the apartment is clean. He returns to the office where Beth is quietly waiting. He shows her the box. She sees the needle on the top of the box jumping back and forth erratically.

Mick picks up a pen and paper and writes a note to Beth that the office is bugged and for her to follow his lead. She nods.

Mick smiles at her, "You know, it's late. Let's go home. We can do this later."

Quickly she writes back asking if he still wants to have the fight. He thinks about it and nods.

Beth smiles at Mick. "But I don't want to go home. Let's do something. You never take me anywhere. You just keep me cooped up all the time."

Xxxxxxxxx

Nicky listens to that bitch nagging St. John and wonders how anyone could put up with her. Man, she must be good in the sack to put up with that noise. He'd be doing St. John a favor if he killed the bitch. He grabs his binoculars and then stops. He wants to look out the window across the street at them when they leave but he's afraid to watch to closely. He doesn't want to attract attention and have Mick spot him.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They leave the office bickering like people who don't seem to like each other very much. Mick is still carrying the box. They get in the elevator and Beth looks at the box and smiles, since the needle has stopped jumping. The doors close and she pulls the stop button. "I love you." She kisses him passionately and smiles seductively. "When this is over, we'll visit the office again."

Mick growls and kisses her holding her tight. "We have to go, but I'm holding you to that." He reaches around her without letting her go and pushes the stop button back in.

Beth laughs. "You can hold me to anything you want. Walls, floors, and doors you name it."

She smiles as he reaches behind her again and pulls the stop button. Mick looks down at her and backs her up against the wall of the elevator. He kisses her until they are both breathless and then reaches for the stop button. Beth stops his hand from reaching the button. He sees the desire in her eyes mirroring his own. "Now. Mick, I want you now."

xxxxxxxxx

They finally get sorted out while they are laughing about whose idea it was to make love in the elevator. Mick reaches over and pushes the stop button once again. Beth quickly kisses him and takes a deep breath. "I'm not sure I can do this now."

Mick kisses her back. "Sure, you can. It's that or we stop the elevator again."

Beth stifles a laugh as the elevator doors open. She goes back to her badgering and Mick points to the car like she's an errant child. Beth huffs and starts to walk away with Mick following her, making motions for her to go back to the car. This continues with Beth stopping every ten feet or so to yammer back at him. Mick looks over the area without being too obvious.

"Beth, this is far enough. I've got some confusing scents there are three that are stronger than the others but no visuals. Go back towards the car and then I'll set you off again and we can do the same routine part way down the block the other way."

Beth marches back to the car. When they get close to the car Mick tries to grab her arm, but she jerks away, and they do the same thing on this side of the block. Mick scans the buildings behind her and the storefronts on the street. She doesn't see anyone to interested in them.

Again, he doesn't get any clear visions. He does get a vague sense of a werewolf and then a vampire and even a human but it's strange... all mixed up but stronger than any of the other scents he's getting.

"Beth that will do it. Let's head back to the car."

They continue the scene moving back to the car. Beth gets in and slams the door to the Benz and Mick goes around and slams his door as well. Mick takes the small black box out of his pocket and puts it on the seat. They both sigh in relief to see that the needle doesn't move. Mick pulls the car into traffic.

"Whew that was tiring. I don't know how people keep that up." Beth turns to him in the seat so she can see his profile. "So, did you get anything?"

"In the office I got the scent of a human, but some other confusing smells also but mostly a human. All along the street I get the same human and then a vamp and a werewolf. I didn't get any sort of visual. It's been too long for visuals, but scents stick around longer. It could be that we have a team working together but that's hard to imagine. The whole point of the office break in though was to bug the office and trashing it was just a cover. I'm not even sure the two are related. This whole thing is confusing."

"When did you change the door between the office and the apartment? Where did you get that nifty little box with the wacky needle?"

"As for the little black box, Ryder gave it to me a long time ago. It won't detect anything really sophisticated by a pro but I'm betting this guy isn't a pro. It works well in most cases. Before I moved out of the apartment, I had the adjoining door removed. I wanted a steel door like the front door. I also removed any sensitive files in the office to an off-site secure storage. I knew I would be working out of here a lot less at least for a while. Maybe being around Josef's paranoia isn't such a bad thing after all."

Beth laughs. "Yea, it rubs off on you after a while. I think that's why I put up less of a fight this time about having a bodyguard. That and for some reason this whole thing is freaking me out a little more than usual. Do you think Josef is still at the office?"

"Hard to tell with Josef. Call Rose and see if he's still in."

Beth flips her phone shut. "Rose said he just left and was headed home."

"Well, then let's go home. You know he has to be told about the phone conversations."

Beth silently nods.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When they get home, they find Josef in his study having a scotch. "Well, if it isn't Nick and Nora. I take you've been out investigating."

Beth narrows her eyes at him. "You know, I need to Netflix this Nick and Nora you're always talking about."

Josef laughs. "Don't bother. Go look at the shelf in the theater. Look for The Thin Man."

Mick sits down across from Josef and arches his eyebrow at him. Josef's tie is askew, and he's not exactly is impeccable self. Mick snickers at him. "What happened to you?"

"What are you talking about? I just got home." Josef walks over to the bar and pours himself another scotch.

Mick stands up and joins him at the bar pouring himself one as well. "Josef you look a little disheveled is all. It's not really like you."

Beth walks over and kisses him lightly. "I'm going to go see the girls and freshen up. I'll be back in a bit. I think you look fine." She's hoping Mick will tell Josef about the phone calls.

Josef laughs. "I went back to work, and I had a great time kicking ass and making money. I love hanging out with you and Beth, you know that, but I go to work for a reason. I like it and I'm good at it. I haven't had this much fun since I took Richard apart. I got even with a few people who thought that because I was off for a bit, they could get the better of me. I showed them they were wrong. It was fun. It's just a big game and money is how I keep score. Today I won. Oh, and by the way, so did you and Beth."

"How's that?"

"Remember the percentage I took off the top for you and Beth before I split Richards money with the council?"

Mick nods.

"Well, I took the liberty of investing it and it just doubled itself. I love watching money do that. It's so much fun." Mick shakes his head as Josef continues. "I know that for some odd reason neither your or Beth seem to be to worry about having money. I'm not sure how I got mixed up with two people who would be happy living at the poverty level." Josef says with great exaggeration.

Mick snorts. "Neither of us has lived at the poverty level. We both have jobs and skills; we'll always do fine."

Josef shakes his head. "You both could live like peasants and be perfectly happy. Anyway, you both have had your portfolios fattened. You've got quite a bit more than Beth because I started working with your money a long time ago. I'm working on adding to Beth's when she's not looking. I can't be involved with a pair of peasants."

Beth returns and smiles as she crosses the room to them "Who are you calling a peasant?"

"I was telling Mick that the two of you would be happy living like peasants."

Beth smiles at him. "That must make you the evil overlord."

Josef smirks at her. "And don't you forget it."

"You think I don't look at my accounts because you and Mick seemed to pay for everything. I've known what you're up to for quite a while. I know it makes you happy, so I let you do it."

Josef leans over and kisses her lightly. "Thank you."

Beth smiles at them both. "Besides, I'm starting to be afraid I might go broke."

Josef looks at her a little alarmed. "Why? Tell me what you need."

Beth laughs. "I've noticed that since I moved in here with the two of you my underwear budget seems to be going through the roof."

Mick smiles at her thinking about the elevator and leans over and kisses her softly. "Are you complaining?"

Beth laughs and shakes her head. "No."

Josef walks across the room to his desk and picks up an envelope. "I was going to give this to you for my birthday, but you might as well have it now."

Beth looks at him curiously and opens the envelope. Inside is a charge card to Victoria Secret. Beth laughs and shows it to Mick.

Mick grins. "Great idea." He looks at Josef. "I'll split the bill with you."

Josef smiles. "Deal."

Beth shakes her head at them. "You two are absolutely incorrigible. I guess I'm going to have to take one of Al's security guys with me to pick out my underwear since I can't leave here alone."

She watches with satisfaction as they growl at her and she breaks out in a smile. "I was kidding. I'll wait until one of you can go with me."

They look at each other and Mick smiles at her. "I think we can both make time when you're ready to go. You let us know."

Josef nods in agreement.

Josef turns to Mick. "Not that I want to change the subject, but I found two of your missing vamps. One is in Bangkok and ones in Shanghai. I spoke to them and they are still among the undead and doing fine. You can scratch Dylan and Riley off your list."

"I'll call Katrina. She'll be pleased to hear that. I've been working on the two women and the third man. No lead on one woman but the third man appears to have been seen in the last couple weeks. Someone is checking on him and I have one confirmed dead woman."

"Ryder tells me that you got the guy to talk long enough to find out that he was calling from a throw away phone."

Josef watches the look that passes between them and sighs. "I know I don't want to hear this right now. I'm going to go change clothes and visit the girls and then you can tell me the bad news. Damn I was in such a good mood too."

They watch as Josef leaves the room. "You tell him." Beth tells Mick.

"No. You are going to tell him." Mick tells her firmly.

She shakes her head.

"Beth." Mick growls at her, "You want to be told what's going on and kept informed well it has to work both ways. You have an obligation to keep both of us in on what is going on, even if you know we won't like it. You don't get to complain because we treat you like a two-year-old, and then keep things from either of us. That means you have to tell Josef what happened."

"Josef told you what I said."

"Yes, and he said you were right. We will stop keeping things from you, but you need to take responsibility and tell Josef what is going on. Even when you know he's going to throw a fit. He has a right to know what's going on, even if he isn't going to be happy about it."

"Hell, I'd be happy if all he did is throw a fit. He's going to be worried and that makes him do and say stupid stuff. I'll tell him after bit. Right now, I'm going down to the stables." Mick watches as she leaves. He decides he needs a bite as well before this night continues. He goes to see the girls. He'll call Katrina after that and let her know what Josef found out.

Josef walks into the den looking for Mick. He smiles at the stacks of folders and paperwork on the desk. The den is becoming Mick's unofficial territory. It's good that he's feeling comfortable enough to carve out space for himself. Josef walks to the bar and looks down at Mick's ringing phone. He picks it up and answers. "Hello?"

"St. John?"

"No, he must have stepped out for a minute. I don't see him."

"Who are you and how come you're answering his phone." Josef gives a mental shrug.

"My name is Josef. I'm a friend of his."

"I wondered if I would ever speak to you, Kostan. How's the new house? You got enough rooms to bang that blond bitch in?"

Josef narrows his eyes and concentrates on the voice. "Can I ask who I'm speaking to? I can certainly tell Mick you called if you tell me who you are?"

Mick walks in and he sees Josef talking on the phone. He pats his pocket and shakes his head when he realizes once again, he left his phone behind.

Mick holds his hand out for the phone. Josef narrows his eyes and hands it to him.

"Hello?"

"St. John?"

"Yea, it's me. You know I need a name for you. I can't just keep referring to you as the voice on the phone."

"Nicky, you can call me Nicky."

"Nicky, it is then. Nicky do you know someone named Toby? Did you tell Toby about Beth?"

Nicky snorts. "I know him. I told him she was a bitch. Man, you let everyone answer your phone. First that bitch answers, and then Kostan. They really shouldn't be answering your phone. If I wanted to talk to them, I'd call them."

"Yes, well, he just happened to be in the room when it rang."

"If you're going to leave you phone lying around, I guess he's better than her. Man, I saw her bitching at you today. What a harpy."

This time Mick holds his temper. He glances at Josef and shakes his head. "Well, she's not here right now. Nicky what did you want? Did you call to admit the pictures were faked?"

"No way, man. I called to tell you I'm mailing you another present." Mick looks down at the dead phone line.

Josef hands Mick a scotch. "You look like you need this."

"That was Nicky. He's the guy who sent the pictures and it sounds like he's sending more."

Xxxxxxxx

**Comments are always welcome. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Moonlight doesn't belong to me. It's just a place I go to play. **

**xxxxxxxx**

_"That was Nicky. He's the guy who sent the pictures and it sounds like he's sending more."_

"Really? A human who is successfully killing vamps and werewolves is unusual and very bad. Why is he asking about Beth and why is he so nasty about her?"

Mick looks closely at Josef. "How do you know he's human?"

Josef looks curiously at Mick. "I suppose he could be a werewolf but somehow I doubt it. He breathes for one thing. You and I breathe, but if you know what you're listening for you can tell that it's not a reflex action. I can hear him doing it and it was normal and rhythmic as human breaths. The way it's supposed to sound."

Mick nods. "You told me a long time ago that I should learn to breath without thinking about it. That way I would have one less thing to think about when I was trying to blend in."

Josef claps Mick on the back as he moves away from the bar and takes a seat with his drink in his hand. "I knew that like me; you were going to be part of the world. You were not going to go to some gloomy castle like Coraline's family. So, you could pretend it was still the sixteen hundred and you were lord of the realm. I knew you were going to want to live in the here and now and Coraline wasn't going to teach you how to do that. She was too arrogant. She was getting to the point where she didn't think she had to blend anymore. Big, bad top of the food chain." Josef shakes his head. "I hate it when Vamps get stupid and lazy. I may have my usual contempt for humans, but I can respect that if you're not careful they can do a great amount of damage. Anyway, he breaths."

Mick sits opposite Josef. "Anything else you can tell me?"

Josef nods. "If he were a vamp, I would say he's at least a hundred years old. He was turned in Russia or spent a great deal of his life there. Since he's a human, I'll say he has spent a lot of his formative years in Russia. He's spent a lot of time with a hundred-year-old Russian vamp. Enough time to pick up some of the older one's accent."

Mick looks at Josef skeptically. "How could you know that? I can see where you might pick up a faint accent that I'm missing but how do you figure on the age?"

"Mick not only do regions of the world have accents but so do times in history. For instance, you are from L.A., but you certainly don't speak like a man born in say the seventeen-hundreds. The flow of the words and such is much different. I spent a great deal of time in Russia over the last couple hundred years, so my ears picked it right up."

"I see what you mean but you are four hundred years old and you don't sound any different to me than anyone else around me."

Josef smiles at the compliment. "Thank you. That's because I work at sounding contemporary. I want to sound like I belong to the here and now and I make the effort. Being around you and Beth doesn't hurt. The two of you remind me to stay current in my words and the way I speak."

"Josef, I had no idea."

"That's because you're only ninety. Wait till you're a hundred and fifty and realize one day that you sound like it. You'll change in a hurry then. Also, you change to match Beth and you don't even realize you're doing it. She's very current because she's so young and that helps quite a bit."

"Anything else you can think of about our killer?"

"No, not that I can think of right now, except that he knows who I am and knows we've moved, and he knows about the way we live. That is not good. So, what's the bad news?"

Mick is tempted to tell Josef, but he knows that Beth needs to do this. Josef made the case for them keeping her in the loop, so she has a responsibility to keep him up to date as well. "You need to go down to the stables and talk to Beth."

"Mick, why don't you just tell me?"

"Josef, she needs to do this. If we are going to tell her everything, she wants to know then it's got to work both ways. She needs to keep us in the loop and not be afraid to tell us things she knows we are not going to be happy about. For one thing it will help us keep her safe."

Josef sighs, "This is going to piss me off isn't it? It's why she doesn't want to tell me."

Mick nods. "It did me."

"Great." Josef gets up and goes down to the stables.

Xxxxxxxxx

Mick picks up his phone and calls Katrina. "Hi."

"Mick, do you have something?"

"I told you that, the guy who sent the pictures called me. Well, Josef ended up talking to him on my phone and noticed things I didn't. Josef says he's pretty sure the guy is human, but he did allow that it was possible he was a werewolf. He just doesn't think so. Josef thinks he breathes like a human. He also thinks he's spent time with a vampire who's around one hundred to two-hundred-years old. We've also found out that his name is Nicky."

"That sure doesn't help much. I guess it's something."

"There is more and some of its good news, some bad. We have at least two of the male vampires confirmed alive. Josef spoke to them. Riley and Dylan are alive. The third one is probably alive but further checking is going on, now, for the bad news. One of the women is a confirmed dead and no lead on the other."

"At least that gives me hope that more of them are alive."

"Also, Beth is getting calls from a voice that is very much the same as Nicky, the guy who sent the pictures. It's hard to tell though they sound different enough that nobody can tell if it's the same guy. We are working on getting a match for comparison. Beth kept Nicky on the line long enough so that Ryder was able to trace him to a throw away phone. I suspect he's staking out my office. Beth and I checked it out and I'm getting some confusing scents but no visuals. I got a whiff of a vampire and a werewolf and a human. I'm not sure if it's a team working together, which makes no sense or coincidence, but I thought you should know. The voice that says he sent the pictures is Nicky and the other is Toby. Does any of this make any sense to you at all?"

"I wish it did. I'll tell Sergey and we'll go over it together and see if between us we can come up with anything. If we do, I'll call you right away."

"Katrina be careful. Somebody also ransacked my office. They also bugged my office, but I've been a P.I. for a long time so it could be something completely different."

"Mick, the disks weren't in your safe at the office, were they?"

"No. I told you I would keep them safe and I am. Don't worry. No one will get to them. Speaking of the disks, I got the ones from Vanessa and there isn't anything on them about your people. Say, hi to Sergey and take care. I'll call you if I get anything else."

"Thanks. I'll tell him." Katrina hangs up

xxxxxxxxxx

Beth is standing with her back to Smokey. She's holding up one of his legs digging dirt and rocks out of his hoof when Josef walks in. He watches her carefully cleaning and caring for the animal's foot. _For a city kid she sure loves those horses_. Beth sets the leg down and looks up at Josef. "Good timing that was the last one."

Josef walks around the animal inspecting his coat and overall health. "You do a good job with them. They are both very healthy and well cared for. Kind of fat but still."

Beth sniffs at him. "They are not fat. The vet said it was normal for them to put on a couple extra pounds this time of year."

Josef laughs. "Maybe if we lived up north and they needed extra body fat to keep warm. To many apples and carrots is my guess."

Beth moves in close to Josef and pulls him into a kiss. "Maybe we need to go riding together more often."

He hears the desire in her voice but they both know she's trying to distract him. He toys with the idea of letting her, but Mick is right she needs to know this needs to work both ways.

Josef breaks the kiss. He stands back and folds his arms. "Alright, what happened today, that you don't want to tell me?"

Beth sighs. "If we have to do this, let's go in the office." Beth pulls her boots off and they enter the large office.

Beth looks at him. "You know, I still can't get use to this."

"To what?"

Beth waves her hand around at the room. "To this, this office that is in a horse stable and is larger than the apartment I had when I was human."

Josef smiles. "You don't like it?"

"I didn't say that. It seems weird."

"Beth, the last people that owned this place were horse people, but they were rich horse people."

Beth laughs. "Horse people? Is that anything like werewolves?"

"No, horse people. You know, racehorses and show horses, cowboy boots and pickup trucks. The thing is that they were rich horse people. They weren't about to be uncomfortable or have their horses be uncomfortable. So, there is an office that is larger than your apartment." Josef smiles at her and continues. "Isn't it nice having a bed and a freezer and all the rest of it?"

Beth smiles. "Of course. You want a drink? You may need it." He nods and she pours him a drink and hands it to him. Beth sighs. "I was the one that kept the guy on the line long enough so Ryder could track him. I also pissed him off to keep him talking."

Josef takes a deep breath and counts to ten… slowly. "May I ask why you are talking on the phone with a serial killer?" he says through gritted teeth. He's determined to keep his anger in check as much as possible. He doesn't like the idea that she's so reluctant to tell him something so important.

"Mick left his phone on the desk when he went to get some sleep. I didn't think much of it and I answered it when it rang. It was the guy. I tried to do my best airhead impression and kept him on the line. He was nasty to me and crude and vile, so I was nasty right back and I made him mad and he kept talking."

Josef scowls at her and she waves her hand at him dismissively. "I know, I know, now I'm more on the guys radar than ever... don't leave without a bodyguard... I know the routine."

Josef rubs the bridge of his nose. "Beth please treat this as serious as it is."

"I will Josef. Don't worry so much. I told you I wouldn't leave here without you or Mick or one of the security guys. It will be fine. I'll be fine."

Josef leans back on the couch and looks at the ceiling. "Is there more?"

"Sort of..."

"Beth, just tell me."

"Well, Mick took the phone from me and finished the call. Then he yelled at me for answering it in the first place."

He smiles softly at her "Is this when you broke the door?"

"Yes. He made me mad. Then I left. I went down to the lake house and Mick followed me down there. While he was down there, I got a call on my phone from someone who I'm pretty sure is the same person. Only this guy calls himself Toby but sounding different. He said I was a vamp. I have no idea about this one knows or doesn't, so I said that was crazy and tried to change the subject and he hung up."

"How did he sound different?"

Beth shrugs. "The first guy sounded crude and creepy. Toby, his name is Toby, sounds like a young guy and nice."

Beth watches Josef to see if he's going to flip out.

"I don't want you down here at the stables by yourself until this thing is over. I don't want you at the lake house by yourself either. You stay up at the main house or get Al to send one of his guys with you down here if Mick and I can't go."

Beth starts to interrupt, and Josef stops her. "I talked to Nicky tonight, that is his name by the way. I talked to him the same way you did. I picked up Mick's phone he left on the bar in the den. He knew who I was, and he also knew that we moved. He asked how I liked the new house. He made some remarks about you that I will be more than happy to shove right down his throat, before I kill him. He also asked Mick about you. That is way more interest that I can live with. Please do this for me."

Beth wants to say no so bad but takes one look in his eyes and knows she can't. "You're really worried, aren't you?"

"I am. This isn't one of Mick's usual crazies. He's worse; he's a human who is managing to kill vamps and werewolves. That's no easy feat. Please do this for me?"

"How do you know he's a human? Mick still wasn't sure when I talked to him last."

Josef explains what he heard when he spoke to Nicky. "Beth, please?"

Beth sighs and moves over and sits next to him. "You don't play fair. I would rather you got mad and pitched a fit and it was over. This is worse."

Josef kisses her gently. "Please?" He kisses her again along her neck and hears her moan.

Beth leans back and smiles at him. "No fair. You wouldn't let me distract you, you don't get to kiss me into submission."

Josef runs his fangs over her collarbone. "You sure?" and he continues to tease her with his mouth. He hears her moan, 'yes' into his ear. He's not sure if that's a 'yes', more or a 'yes', she will do as he asks. He decides for the moment it is 'yes', more.

xxxxxxxxxx

They both retract fangs and Josef leans his head into her shoulder as they both come down out of the clouds. He smiles down at her and rolls over, forgetting they are on the couch and she watches as he thumps to the floor. Beth rolls over and smiles down over the edge at him. "You okay?"

He looks at her sheepishly "Only my pride is hurt."

Beth grins down at him. "Baby, the last thing that should ever hurt on you is your pride."

He laughs as she slides down off the couch and snuggles up next to him on the floor.

They are laying on the floor in a haze of contentment when they hear Beth's phone ring. She doesn't move to answer it and Josef swats her butt as he gets up and grabs it. "It might be important. There is too much going on to not answer the phone."

He doesn't look at it, he flips it open. "Hello?"

"You're not Beth. You're a man."

"Why yes, yes I am." He says as he sits down on the floor next to Beth.

Beth watches him she can tell he's listening very carefully to the caller.

"Let me talk to Beth."

She hears Josef snicker into the phone. "She's indisposed at the moment."

"What do you mean indisposed? Who's this? What are you doing with Beth's phone?"

"My name is Josef." He tells the caller. "Let's say she's catching her breath. Who is this?"

"This is Toby. I've heard of you and you're not nice."

"At least you're right about one thing. I'm not nice. Why don't you let me talk to Nicky?"

"I don't know anyone named Nicky. I want to talk to Beth." Toby complains.

"Not unless I get to talk to Nicky." Josef wants to match the voices in his own inner voice identification.

"There is no one here named Nicky. You tell Beth I called."

"No. I don't think I will. In fact, I don't think I want Beth talking to you anymore." Josef hangs up.

Beth looks at him speculatively. "Is it the same person or not?"

He sighs. "I think so, but I don't know. Let's get dressed and go up and talk to Mick. I don't want to have to explain this twice."

Josef and Beth enter the den to find Mick sitting at the computer once again. He looks up at them as they come in. He smiles to himself. It takes him about a second to realize they worked things out. "Mick turns to Beth. "From now on, you and I will both keep Josef up to speed on what's going on?"

Beth nods. "Yea, but he wants more."

Josef turns to Beth. "You never did give me an answer."

"I guess. You're creeping me out about this whole thing."

"Good." Josef turns to Mick. "Beth won't leave the main house for the stables or the lake house without one of us or one of the security guys."

Mick narrows his eyes at Beth wondering what's wrong. This is too easy. He gives a mental shrug and decides not to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Josef goes over and sits on the couch and turns back to Mick. "While we were down at the stables, I spoke to Beth's new friend Toby. He doesn't like me. I refused to let him talk to Beth unless I could talk to Nicky."

"So, is it the same person or not?"

Josef shakes his head. "Honestly I don't know. It's like Beth said. It sounds like the same person but it's different enough I can't be sure. I can tell you though he's been around the same two-hundred-year-old vamp. This Toby breathes also."

Mick flips out open his phone and calls Ryder. "Ryder, the last call to my phone and the last call to Beth's phone, see if you can get a match."

"Sure, thing Mick. I've got both digitized. I talked to Logan he says he can do it. One of us will get back to you."

"Thanks." Mick hangs up.

"Josef, I had Ryder start taping the conversations. He's going to see if Logan can run the two for a voice print and see if the electronics can tell us if it's the same person." Mick turns to Beth. "I think that we should keep this pair off balance."

She frowns "How?"

"If at all possible, whoever's phone rings should not answer it. For instance, if they call, your phone, Josef or I should answer, same with my phone. I think messing with them is in order. Otherwise you're giving them the advantage."

Josef nods. "Yes, it didn't set well with Toby when I refused to let him talk to Beth and he was off balance."

"This afternoon when Nicky called, and I refused to believe that the pictures were real. I told him I wanted the location of the bodies. It set him off, especially after he had got done arguing with Beth. The only problem with that is that it puts Beth on the phone with Nicky more often."

Beth scrunches her nose at him. "We need to do whatever we have to get this guy or guys."

Xxxxxxxxx

Nicky goes to google world and pulls up the aerial photos of Josef's estate. He looks at the surrounding buildings trying to figure out what is what. He sees a corral off to one side of one of the buildings and realizes that it's a barn or stables. Idly he wonders if they have horses. It would be very odd for vamps to have any animals at all. He wonders what could be in that building if not horses. He sees that access to the stables wouldn't be that hard. There are woods not far off and he bets even if there are patrols that they don't patrol that far from the house. If the stables are used much, it would be a perfect place to leave a little surprise for them to find. Nicky laughs to himself. He'll scare that bitch so bad she won't know what hit her.

The next day Nicky makes his way through the woods until he can see the stables. He silently creeps across the open area. At first, he was going to go during the night. On second thought decided he would run into fewer vamps in the daylight. He doesn't see a soul, so he creeps into the stable. He sees two horses. He wonders who rides them. He rubs the nose of one and the horse whinnies in fear and backs up. "Stupid horses." He says softly. He backs away from the horse in hopes it will calm down and not make any more noise. He enters the office area and sees that whoever rides must spend a lot of time down here. He drops the envelope on the desk and laughs. He lets Toby shift to wolf form, and they are gone.

Xxxxxxxx

**Comments are always welcome. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Moonlight doesn't belong to me. It's just a place I go to play.**

**xxxxxxxxxx**

Mick hears his phone. He scans the display, halfway hoping it's Nicky. He's hoping he'll tell him where the bodies are so he can at least have a concrete lead. He sees its Frank.

"Frank you have anything?"

"Sorry Mick. It's a dead end here. Damian had assistants but as close as I can tell, none of them helped him with the information you asked about. I think he was afraid someone doing exactly what is happening with the Romanovs. Damian would not have wanted anyone else to be able to track potential candidates ahead of him. He would not have shared that information. Look at what he did to you and Beth. You think he would have wanted anyone else to get there ahead of him? Not a chance. His god complex wouldn't allow it. The only reason he got to Beth before Vanessa is, she waits until her decedents are of a decent age, like Josef was. She didn't realize that Damian was back tracking her bloodlines at the time. I'm sure if she had she would have killed him before he could have gotten to Beth."

"Well, thanks for checking Frank. Your explanation makes sense. If you think of any other possibilities call me."

"We'll do." And Frank disconnects.

Xxxxxxxxxx

As soon as Mick gets into the office, he flips the switch on his bug finder. He watches the dial as he gets closer and closer to it. He finds it in the lamp by his desk. He takes the lamp next door to the apartment and swaps it out with the one of by his chair. Originally, he had decided to destroy it and let Nicky or whoever, wonder if it had been found but this is better. They will still get a signal but no sound. Mick checks the office over once more to make sure that there are no more bugs. Once satisfied sits down to get some work done.

He begins by going through the mail looking for something from Nicky. Thankfully nothing in today's mail. Next, he is sits at his desk and punches the button on his answering machine. The first message sends a chill down his back. It's from a woman.

"Mr. St. John, this is Mandy Miller, ah, I was told to tell you that Jenny told me to call you so you would know who I was."

_More like what you are._

"I'm scared and worried. Three of my friends have gone missing over the last three weeks and I'm scared something bad has happened. All three of these friends are local and all three are friends of Jenny's. If you would call me back, I sure would appreciate it."

Mick starts to dial Mandy's number and stops. Instead he calls Katrina.

"Hello, Mick?"

"Yea, Katrina it's me. I think this whole thing might be bigger than we thought."

"How?"

"I told you that Josef tracked two of the male vamps and I'm pretty sure the third one is alive. Well, I just got a call from a woman, a vamp, that has three friends missing. I haven't spoken directly to her yet, but I have a bad feeling she's going to tell me they are all women. What if what we are seeing isn't just Romanovs but female werewolves and vamps across the board. You happened on to only one area of it? I'm afraid because of the somewhat fragmented way vamps live, it's not being noticed on our side. Is it possible the same could be happening with your people? None of your missing people are male, are they?"

Katrina is stunned. "Mick it's very possible and yes, all my missing are women. We live in packs but there isn't a constant communication between packs. If the killer scatters over enough area. If he only takes one female from a pack at a time, it might not alarm enough people to start seeing a pattern."

"I was afraid of that. Katrina, is there any way you can get them to talk between packs so we can see if there is a larger problem on your side?"

"It can be done but it's going to take time. We don't have a council or anybody that links us, but I can get things moving. I'll contact the pack leaders of a couple of the large packs and they may have a better way of going about it than I know about. Mick, I so hope you're wrong."

"Me too, Katrina, me too." He hangs up and then dials Mandy.

"Hi, this is Mick St. John, Jenny told you to call me."

"Oh, yes, Mr. St. John. I need to see you right away about my friends."

"Well, I'll be in my office for a few hours if you want to come on over."

"Thanks. I'll be there in about an hour."

Mick hangs up and calls Josef at his office. "Hey, can you come over to my office? I have a client coming in that I you should hear. I think this could be a lot worse than we thought."

Josef looks at his calendar and doesn't see anything that can't be canceled. "I'll be there in say half an hour. Does that work?"

"Perfect. She's due inside of an hour." Mick hangs up.

Mick and Josef sit across from each other. Mick has been filling Josef in on his conversation with Katrina. They hear someone walking down the hall to Mick's office. Josef gets up and stands off to the side by the window, trying to be inconspicuous. The door opens and in walks a very beautiful, female vamp. Mick stands and Josef turns facing the room when the woman walks in. Mandy looks from Mick to Josef. To Mick's surprise, the girl runs to Josef and puts her arms around his neck hugging him. Mick watches his friend and arches an eyebrow at him a small smile on his face.

Josef rolls his eyes at Mick. He takes Mandy's hands from his neck and moves her back a little. "Mandy? How are you? I haven't seen you in quite some time."

"Not very good. Three of my friends, you know them, Betsy, Salina and Lily have all disappeared."

Josef gently moves the girl to the chair in front of Mick's desk. "Tell Mick about it. He needs to know the particulars so he can investigate."

Mandy nods to Josef and turns to Mick. She hands him a piece of paper. "I knew you would need to know addresses and phone numbers on them and anything I could think of, so I wrote it all down. Mr. St. John, we meet once or twice a week for drinks at Jenny's. Nothing scheduled to the day and time. We are all in and out of there so often that we tend to end up together at least a couple times a week. All three have gone missing. When Salina didn't show up, I wasn't really concerned. She was going to classes this semester. I thought she was studying, but then when I didn't run into Betsy or Salina, I started to get worried. I talked to Jenny about when they'd last been in. She questioned her staff, and no one had seen any of them in at least two weeks, and with Salina it was three weeks. Mr. St. John, I went around to their dorms and no one has seen any of them."

Mick looks over the information she's written down. "Please call me Mick. So, you are all going to college and living at the dorms?"

"Yea, it's a great life for a vamp, especially a woman. We all live in different coed buildings. It's a lot of fun."

Mick smiles. "I've heard that. Before they disappeared, did any of the girls mention anyone who was giving them a hard time? Someone too insistent in trying to meet up with them? Anything out of the usual?"

Mandy shakes her head. "No, not at all. Everybody was having a great time."

"Do any of the girls have any identifying marks? Something they got before they were turned. Did they have any distinctive habits, something that would help us find them or... identify them."

"Salina wore a lot of jewelry. She had a gold St. Christopher medal that she always wore. Other than that, not much."

"Is there any place they hang out besides Jenny's other than what you have here on the list? Night clubs, that sort of thing."

"Well, we all hit Jakes over on the Strip when classes are in a break. The kids go home, and the pickings get a little slim, so we go to Jakes and hang out."

Mick looks a little perplexed. "But not at Jenny's?"

Mandy shakes her head. "No, that's our girls only place." She smiles at Josef. "We all decided a long time ago we need one place where we could have peace and quiet. Since Jenny's been around so long it's always been her place. We don't date out of there at all. That's why we hit Jakes when class is over."

"I'll tell you what, I'll look into this and see what I can find. I'll call you if I have any more questions or any information about your friends."

"I'm so relieved you're going to look into this. Jenny said you are good at this. But what do you charge, what do I owe you?"

Mick and Josef glance at each other. "Nothing, don't worry about it."

Josef smiles at her. "I'll take care of it."

She jumps up and crosses the room hugging Josef again. "Oh, thank you Josef."

Mick is smirking at him behind her back. Josef gently removes the girl's hands from his neck.

She looks up at him. "Hey, you should let me buy you a drink to say thank you. We could catch up."

Josef smiles at her. "That would be nice but I'm seeing someone."

"Really? You? The same woman all the time?"

Josef nods and she smiles at Mick. "How about you Mick? Can I buy you a drink to say thank you?"

"Sorry but I'm seeing someone also."

Mandy puts her hands on her hips and looks at them. "Who are these women?"

Josef smiles. "One woman."

Mandy looks at him questioningly. "One woman, what does that mean?"

Mick smiles. "Not these women, one woman, we are both seeing the same woman."

She looks back and forth between them and shakes her head. "It's not bad enough I lose out on married men but now I am losing multiple men to the same woman." She shakes her head. "Well, if you ever change your minds. Call me."

They watch as she leaves the office.

Mick turns to Josef. "Friend of yours?"

"You're pretty observant for a private investigator. In addition to what Mandy said, Lily had a tattoo of a butterfly on her bottom. Betsy had a scar that ran horizontal behind her right knee."

Mick laughs and Josef shrugs. "As Mandy pointed out, I knew them all... well. I'm going back to work. I think you're right. We may have a bigger problem than we thought." Josef heads for the door and as he's leaving, he turns to Mick. "I know I said we should tell Beth everything, but I was not talking about small redheads named Mandy. She's still a little perturbed with me about Katrina. Let's leave this out of the conversation, ok?"

Mick laughs. "But you said everything."

Josef glowers at him. "You remember there was a time when you weren't exactly a saint. You may need the same favor someday."

Mick's eyes get a little wide. "Ah yea. Good point. Okay, deal."

Josef smiles and waves as he closes the door.

xxxxxxxxxx

The next day, Josef is getting ready for the office. he realizes Beth hasn't been to the stables since he made her promise to take someone with her, which isn't like her at all. He also noticed that she's been getting more and more jumpy. He decides he doesn't need to go into the office and goes in search of her. He finds her in the theater watching The Thin Man. "So, you finally got a chance to see Nick and Nora."

Beth turns back and sees him at the door. "They're funny. I'm glad I did. I needed the distraction."

Josef sits down next to her and puts his arm around her. "How are you feeling?"

She picks up the remote and pauses the movie and shrugs. Josef notices she isn't looking at him.

"Beth? Talk to me."

"I'm not sleeping very well."

Josef looks at her and cocks his head trying to understand. "What do you mean you're not sleeping very well? What could be keeping you awake? Don't you like your room?"

Beth looks up at him in surprise. "Why wouldn't I like my room? I love it. What does that have to do with not sleeping very well?"

"I'm trying to understand what could be keeping you from sleeping. It has to be something in your room."

Beth snorts at him. "It is something in my room. It's my head. I'm having bad dreams, nightmares."

Josef is almost speechless. He doesn't know what to say. He and Mick joked about it, because vamps don't dream. "Beth, vampires don't dream or have nightmares."

Beth looks bewildered. "Josef, then I'm a freak because believe me I remember what a nightmare is and I'm having them. They are scaring me. I keep seeing you and Mick hurt and I can't get to you. I sat up in my freezer last night so fast I hit my head on the lid."

Josef pulls out his phone and taps a number.

"Vanessa?"

"Hello Josef." She hears alarm in his voice. "Is everything ok?"

"Yea, fine, I think. Vanessa, do you dream?"

He hears the tinkle of her laugh. "Yes, Josef I do. Is this about Beth?"

"Yes, she's having what she says are nightmares. Is that possible?"

"It is and I'm sorry I didn't warn her. After all these years, dreaming is so natural to me I forget that most all vampires don't have them. You don't do you?"

"No. Never."

"From what I've found out, only vampires with abilities like Beth and mine, have dreams and yes, nightmares."

"They aren't permissions, are they?"

"They shouldn't be. Unless she had them when she was human. They should be only dreams and nightmares. Josef, be sure she understands that until she gets a handle on them, they can be very scary and very real."

"I'll tell her. Thanks Vanessa."

"Josef, before you hang up, listen to me. This is exactly one of the reasons I want someone other than you to teach her. She needs someone who will see this type of thing and warn her or help her with it. I'm too far away from that end of life to remember things like this."

Josef nods. "I see what you mean. I'll talk to her about it." He hangs up.

Beth crawls into his lap and he can feel an awful lot of anxiety from her. Josef hugs her and rubs her back. "Hey, it's ok. Vanessa has them too. It's another manifestation of your abilities."

"Josef, it's not that. I want this guy caught. Between what you said and the nightmares… I don't know..."

"I know. Something will turn up. How come you didn't go into help Mick with the office? He probably needs help."

"I offered but he said he'd take care of it. I think he was afraid he would be so busy and distracted he wouldn't be able to keep an eye out to protect me. I could tell he was uneasy about the idea, so I didn't push it."

"So, you're stuck here with me." He teases.

Beth smiles at him and swats at him "You know better than that. I'm just restless. I feel like I'm at loose ends and I don't like it. Something is wrong and I don't know what it is."

"How come you stopped going down to the stables after that last call?"

She doesn't look at him. She picks at some imaginary lint on her pant leg.

Josef gently turns her head to look at him. "Are you afraid? Beth, I didn't mean to scare you, truthfully I needed to put my mind at ease by having someone with you."

Beth sticks her chin out. "No. I am not afraid. This guy isn't any different than any of the other creeps that have bothered us."

Josef frowns. He can tell by the way she's talking that she's trying to convince herself she's not scared. He watches her and she buries her face in his shoulder and starts to cry.

Josef leans back and rubs her back and lets her get all the anxiety out of her system. He knows that being afraid is not something she's going to reconcile easily. Josef stretches his arm out to the table and grabs the Kleenex box off the side table and hands it to her. Beth smiles at him through the tears. "Thanks. Good thing I put these in here."

Josef snorts. "Can't have a movie theater without tissue for the sad parts." Josef smiles when he thinks about hearing her in here crying at the end of some sad movie she's been watching. He suspects she sneaks in here and watches the sad ones by herself, so Mick and Josef won't see her crying over a movie.

Josef tucks a lock of hair behind her ear. "You know, besides the nightmares, there is a very good reason you're afraid. Maybe the reason why Mick and I are a little jumpier about your safety than we should be."

Beth shakes her head. "I just don't get it. I mean look at all the creeps we've had problems with. I've never been afraid before. Why should this be any different?"

"Beth, it's not any different, we are."

She looks at him, trying to understand what he's getting at. "How so?"

"What I should say is our surroundings are different. We've lived in this new house less than six weeks. Before when there was trouble, we had somewhere that we felt safe and comfortable. Whether it was your old place, Mick's apartment or our old place. None of us has had enough time to feel comfortable here and so the shadows and creeks aren't familiar enough to us. Hell, even after you were attacked at Mick's apartment that time you got back to a place where you weren't afraid again."

Beth thinks this over and nods at him. She even manages a smile. "Thanks Josef. That does make sense and it makes me feel a lot better. I don't like feeling unsettled and I couldn't figure out what the problem was."

"I'll tell you what. How about instead of you needing a bodyguard to go down to the stables or the lake house you make sure you have your phone. Make sure you tell one of us where you're going and check in every so often? I'm still not comfortable with your being alone down there. If I know you have your phone and I know someone knows to check if they don't hear from you, I can live with it."

Beth nods. "That sounds much better. Would you like to go to the stables with me now? If you need to go to work, that's fine but if not, you can come with me."

"Of course. I'll tell you what. I'll go down with you and use the computer down there while you visit with the horses. We can go riding if you want."

"Maybe. Let's go down there. I miss them. You know how much I like to be with them."

Josef nods. "Just let me change. Somehow I don't think this Armani is a good fit with the stables." Josef eyes Beth in mock suspicion. "You sure this isn't an elaborate way to get me out of my suit?"

Beth laughs. "I've never had any trouble getting you out of your suits."

Josef is glad to see some of her good humor returning. "So, true. I'll be right back."

**Xxxxxxxxx**

**Comments are always welcome. **


	11. Chapter 11

**Moonlight doesn't belong to me. It's just a place I go to play.**

xxxxxxxxxx

Josef and Beth enter the stables and she makes a beeline to Smokey and Kingston. Josef watches her fishing chunks of carrots and apples out of a sack she pulls out of her pocket. "I'll be in the office, if you need me." He sees her nod, and he enters the office. Josef walks across to the bar and pours himself a glass of AB negative. He sits on the couch for a minute thinking about his conversation with Beth. He has an idea and calls Mick. "Hey, where are you?"

"Just getting ready to go to my office. I need to check on the mail and see if I got any more pictures from Nicky and follow some leads on the three missing girls. Why?"

Josef takes a deep breath. "I guess you called it. You get to sleep with Beth to chase away the demons."

Mick is silent for a moment not sure if he's understanding what Josef is getting at. "Josef spell it out."

Josef relates his conversation with both Beth and Vanessa. "Can you believe she dreams?"

"Vanessa says she has them too?" Mick is as surprised as Josef is.

"Yes. I had no idea any vamp had dreams let alone nightmares."

"What do you think is causing them? Even when she was human, I don't remember her having nightmares. It's not like her to get so spooked."

"It's probably my fault for going overboard on her safety. I loosened things up about her going down to the lake house and the stables by herself. She's going to make sure someone knows where she is, and she has her phone. I also think you should take her with you when you go into the office. I hate to say it, but we are the reason for the nightmares. We're scaring her. She needs to get out and do something. I would rather she was helping you, than out there with anyone else, even Al's security guys."

Mick nods to himself. "You know I wondered the other day when she agreed to stay in the house and not leave without a bodyguard. It worried me then that she agreed to easily. Very out of character for her. She also fell asleep on the way into the office the other day. I guess I know why. She asked to go with me tonight but I'm afraid I wasn't very encouraging, and she probably won't ask again."

"I asked her about that, and she said she thought you had to much going on. You were afraid you couldn't protect her, so she didn't push it."

Mick sighs. "She's right and you know what, it's not fair. I did teach her to take care of herself. I have a feeling that however Nicky is killing these werewolves and vamps, part of it is he is getting them to trust him. Somehow, he's taking them by surprise. That isn't likely to happen with Beth. Do you know where she is now?"

"We're both down at the stables. She hasn't been down here to see the horses since I asked her not to leave the house without security. I noticed it and it started to concern me. You know how much she loves the horses. So, I came down here with her."

"Josef, I can call her and ask her to go with me but she's not going to understand my turn around and she's going to smell a rat. you need to tell her what we discussed and tell her I'm waiting for her if she wants to go with me. I could use her help. One of the things I need to do is go over to the college and check out the dorms. She could help me with a little B and E. I'll be less conspicuous on a college campus with a young good-looking woman along. You know the other thing that would be helpful is if the three of us went to Jake's tomorrow night. We could look the place over and see if there is anything unusual."

"Not a bad idea. I'll take care of talking to her about it right now. It shouldn't take but a few minutes. I'm sure she's going to want to go with you."

Josef leaves the office and stops to watch when he sees Beth brushing Kingston. Smokey is behind her nudging her pocket with his nose. Josef laughs as he sees the horse's long tongue snaking into Beth's pocket trying to get to more treats. Beth turns and hugs the animal and then leads him to his stall and gives him the apple he knew was in her pocket. She returns to Kingston and Josef takes the brush from her hand. "Josef?"

"We need to talk for a minute. Mick wants to know if you would like to go with him to the office." Before she can say anything, he stops her. "I called him and explained that we may have gone a bit overboard. He said he could use your help as he was going into check out the dorms the girls lived in. He could use a little help with some Breaking and Entering."

Beth looks at him suspiciously. "Really?"

Josef nods. "Really. His idea." Beth smiles the first real smile he's seen from her in the last few days. "In addition, the girls that Mick is looking for hung out at a club called Jake's out on the strip. How would you like to go and check it out with me and Mick tomorrow night?"

Beth wraps her arms around him and hugs him tight. "Thank you. I love you both so much. This feels more normal." She stops and frowns. "When I was talking to Toby, he mentioned a club called Jake's."

"Good maybe we are on the right track." Josef kisses her. "Go, get cleaned up. Mick is waiting for you. I'll finish brushing Kingston and put him in his stall."

Beth rewards him with another big smile. She gives him a quick kiss and leaves the stables.

Josef finishes with the horse and puts him in his stall. He decides he might as well boot up the computer while he's down here and see if it's worth going into work. He enters the office and reaches for the computer. At the same time, he scans the desk for a pen. He stops dead when he sees an envelope just like the first one Nicky sent to Mick's office. Josef swears loud and long, using words no one has heard in two hundred years. When he finally calms down, he scoops the envelope up with a magazine. He doesn't want to contaminate any scent or lead Mick might be able to get from it, by touching it. He heads for the house. Grimly he thinks of the calls he's going to have to make.

Josef enters the den and he lays the magazine on the desk. He's decided his next step. He picks up the phone. "Al, Mick is working on catching a serial killer, who is killing vamps. I have a strong belief he was here, down at the stables sometime in the last couple of days. We don't know what he looks like, but he left a calling card at the stables.

Al sits straight up in his chair. He hears the anger in Josef's voice. "Shit Josef. This place is so damn big... What do you want to do?"

"If Beth had gone down there by herself..." Josef trails off not wanting to contemplate that line of thought. "I want everyone armed and I want this place patrolled. I know it's big so concentrate on the main compound. Except for the stables. Put a couple guys down there. I don't even want to think about anything happening to the horses."

"Josef, I'm going to have to bring in a few more guys."

"Do it. In fact, I'll have Dustin send you some from the office building downtown. They can put that place on full alert and keep traffic funneled through the main entrance. That way they won't need as much help. I'll take care of that. If it's still not enough you let me know. Until we know what this guy looks like, I only want people you or I or Mick have known face to face longer than six months."

"Got it Josef." Al hangs up.

Josef dials Dustin at the office and makes the arrangements. Then he does something he's loath to do. He finds Robert in the kitchen. "I want you to make arrangements for the girls to go stay at Jenny's. I want every human who we employee off the premises for a few days." Josef explains to Robert what is going on. Robert nods and starts making calls.

Xxxxxxx

Beth lays her head back on the seat of the Benz and sighs. They are driving over to the college to check out the girl's dorm rooms. It's Friday so if no one is around they will slip in and out with the help of a lock pick. It's so nice to get out and to have some explanations for the way everyone is acting. She turns to Mick. "Thanks for changing your mind. On the way home can we put the top down on the car?"

He smiles "Yes, of course. Beth, I have confidence in you. If you're forewarned you can go up against any human but don't turn your back on anyone you don't know. Think about this with me. We still don't know how a human could get a werewolf and a vamp to trust him enough to get a drop on them to kill them."

Beth turns the possibilities over in her mind. "Mick didn't you tell me that you got the strongest scent of a human, a vamp and a werewolf by the office?"

He nods.

"Maybe Nicky has a vamp and a werewolf doing his dirty work and he's the mastermind for this mess. It might explain Toby."

"I thought of that, but the problem is that very seldom do serial killers work as a team. The Hill Side Strangler is a rarity. It's pretty long odds that three of them could have the same psychosis and manage to work together."

She shakes her head. "I can't imagine anything else. I can't see any vamp with our strength and speed being able to be taken by a human. I don't know about werewolves, but at least with them you can see him catching them in human form. I don't know how you'd keep them from turning but if he is, at least you can see how he's managing to kill them. Our people though, even if you catch them by surprise our reaction time is damn fast. I would think instinct would take over and Nicky would be toast. It doesn't make any sense."

Mick looks down at his ringing phone and sees it's Logan. He flips it open. "Yea"

"Mick, Hey, I got the voice comparison you asked for. You want to come over and let me tell you what I found?"

"Good timing. Beth and I are in the area. We'll be there before long."

Mick turns to Beth. "That was Logan. He got the voice comparison. We're going to make a detour and see what he's got."

Mick knocks at the basement door. Logan looks at the monitor and sees it's them and pushes the button to let them in. Beth squints at the music assaulting her ears. She puts her fingers in her ears and they walk down the stairs. Logan sees Beth with her fingers in her ears and cuts the sound. "Sorry. I forgot you still have baby ears."

Beth looks at him indignantly. "I do not have baby ears."

Logan smiles at her. "Five years means you still have baby ears. It's ok. I won't tell anyone."

Beth huffs at him good-naturally. "You know, what I realized? You're not that much older than I am."

"I am so." Logan retorts.

"I can smell you. I bet you haven't been a vamp longer than fifteen years."

Logan scowls at her.

Mick smiles. "She's got you there. So, what do you have?"

"Oh, yea, right. Well, even the computer is confused."

Beth looks at Logan "How can that be?"

Logan shrugs. "Even the computers can only work with what we've told it. The thing is, the readings almost match in structure but not in tone. Some of the readings indicate that it's the same voice and some show it clearly isn't. I can tell you that neither voice is being altered in anyway. The small structure anomaly is the breathing is different but that can be the person speaking. As for tone, in that respect the computer thinks it's a different set of vocal cords. I wish I could be of more help but that's all I've got. I'll have Ryder keep sending me samples and see if anything else turns up. It's about all I can do."

"Thanks Logan. Let us know if you find out anything else." Mick starts to hand him some money and Logan stops him. "Josef has me on retainer for community stuff and I'm guessing this is community stuff."

Mick nods. "It is."

"Then we're good."

Mick nods and they leave to the sounds of Guitar Hero in the background.

Mick notices that Beth is awfully quiet. "What's the matter? Are you mad because Logan said you have baby ears?"

"No but he has a point. How come my hearing is so sensitive to Logan's music?"

Mick laughs. "Because you have baby ears." Mick sees her scowl. "It's like most things the older you get the more you are able to tolerate. Loud music, a little more exposure to the daytime, those kinds of things get easier with age. Besides, that loud music, in that confined an area is pretty bad if you're not use to it."

Mick pulls up in front of the college library and they get out. He turns to Beth. The first one is up on the third floor of that building across the square. "Because of all the problems on campuses there are cameras in all the hallways and stairwells. Thankfully all three rooms are on the dark side of their buildings. We should be able to jump up easily without being spotted. I suspect that they are all in different buildings so they wouldn't be quite so conspicuous. Do you think you can pick the lock on her slider or do you want me to do it?"

"I can do it, you forget that a campus not too much different than this one, is where I learned to pick locks in the first place. Should be a snap."

They walk off into the dark holding hands. They look more like lovers looking for a secluded spot than, two people looking to break into a room. Mick looks at Beth and then up at the balcony. "Here we go."

They both jump the three floors easily and land lightly on the balcony. Beth takes her lock picks out of her pocket and goes to work on the lock. In a minute she straightens up and smiles at Mick as she slides the door open. "At least she doesn't have any extra braces holding the door locked."

Mick nods and they quietly enter the room, both armed with small black flashlights. Beth starts at the dresser and Mick the desk. They work the room in rotation passing each other to give everything two pair of eyes. Beth finds matchbooks from Jake's and a few coasters with phone numbers on them in the bedside table. Mick finds Salina's provisions and realizes it's going bad. He shows Beth and motions that he's going to dump the whole supply down the bathroom sink. It would not be good if it were found. Beth nods and continues her search. Once they are done, they return to the car and quietly put the things they've found in a bag in the trunk of the Benz. They repeat the same procedure in Betsy and Lily's rooms

As they drive away Nicky steps out of the dark and laughs. "To late Mick."

Mick pulls into the garage at his office and they walk to the elevator. They go down to the main entrance and pick up the mail. Mick shows Beth a small package and nods. He scents it and shakes his head as they go back to the elevator and go up to the office. Once inside Mick sits at his desk and begins to open the package but his phone rings. He glances at the number. "It's Nicky." He and Beth glance at each other. He starts to reach for it and Beth puts her hand on it first. "Remember what you said about keeping him or them off balance." She can see the misgivings in his eyes. "Mick, you were right the first time, this is a good idea."

"Do you have any idea what you're going to say to him?" The phone is still ringing.

"No, but I'm sure it's not going to be nice. The guy is a creep." Beth picks the phone up.

"Hello?"

"Oh, it's the bitch again."

"Ah, I remember you. They guy with no working equipment, well except for when you're using it on the blow-up doll. Nice to hear from you again."

Mick looks at her like she's lost her mind.

"You wait till I get my hands on you, bitch."

Beth uses her best laugh. "All talk and no go. You want to meet me somewhere and prove your man enough to do the job?"

"Bitch. Let me talk to St. John."

"Chicken. I knew you didn't have anything to work with."

Mick can't stand it anymore and he snatches the phone from her hand.

"Nicky, is that you?"

"St. John, I'm going to kill that bitch."

Mick allows himself a low growl into the phone. "Nicky, concentrate on me, not Beth."

"You get both your presents yet?"

"Not yet. What did you send me Nicky?"

"Oh, you'll find out. You'll just have to look around." He says cryptically and hangs up.

Mick looks at Beth. "It sounds like he sent more than one package. Well, let's see what's in this one."

Mick picks up the small package and tries again to get visual, something from the package in front of him. Again, it's too much of a jumble with all the people who have handled it. He has a thought and he go to a cabinet and takes out his print kit. Maybe he can pull a fingerprint off whatever pictures Nicky has sent. He knows it's a long shot but it's worth a try. Beth watches as he puts on the latex gloves. She can feel the trepidation he's feeling at opening the package. She walks around the desk and pulls a chair up next to him. She puts a hand on his arm. "Just keep in mind that we'll get him. No matter what is in there, sooner or later we will get him."

Mick nods and opens the package. He looks inside and sees two more pictures. One a vampire, and one of a werewolf. The same poses as last time but now the faces are in full view and there is no question of finding out their identities. There is also a small box like you would put jewelry in. Beth and Mick glance at each other. Mick starts to reach for it and stops. He opens his print kit. He goes about taking all the fingerprints from the pictures and the box that are available. When he's done, he takes a deep breath and he lifts the lid on the box. Inside is a gold St. Christopher's medal. He's sure it must be the one Salina wore. He dusts it for prints as well.

Mick scents the entire contents. Beth watches him and sees a haunted look appear in his eyes. He puts the contents back in the box. He stands up, stripping off the gloves and crosses the room. He pours himself a scotch and throws it down in one gulp. He pours another and repeats. Beth walks over and stops him from pouring a third. He leans heavily on the desk.

Mick turns to Beth she can feel ten different emotions running rampant in him. She puts a finger to his lips. "We'll get him. Just remember that. We will find him and take care of him, so he stops hurting people."

He doesn't even know where to start with everything that he's feeling. The overriding fear for Beth is winning out. He puts the package in his coat pocket. He takes Beth's hand and they move to the door. He locks up and they go down to the garage to the Benz. Mick opens her side for her and they both get in. He drives along in silence. Beth lets him think but she scoots across the seat and puts her hand on his leg. She leans back and tries to help him get through the emotions, but he gently takes her hand and puts it back on her own leg. She looks at him a little hurt. Mick doesn't even look at her he shakes his head. Beth sighs and lets it go until they get back to the house

**Xxxxxxxxxxx**

**Comments are always welcome. **


	12. Chapter 12

**Moonlight doesn't belong to me. It's just a place I go to play.**

**xxxxxxx**

As soon as Beth and Mick enter the house, Josef can feel the intense emotions coming from Mick. He meets them in the den to see what they've found. He finds Mick staring out the window. Beth is taking off her coat and she turns to Josef when he walks into the room. "You see if you can talk to him. He won't let me help. I'm going to go see the girls. I'm hungry and he's making me crazy."

Before she can leave Mick turns to Beth. "You don't leave my or Josef's sight."

Beth rolls her eyes at him. "Shit. We're back to this again."

Before Beth even knows what's going on Mick is holding her tightly by the arms. He's looking down at her with that haunted look in his eyes again. "You. Don't. Know."

Beth tries to struggle as his grip is hurting her. Josef isn't sure if he should intervene or not. He watches Mick closely. "Beth, you know what I saw when I opened that package? I saw him rape her, I saw him torture her, I saw him slice her throat." Beth stops struggling and Mick lessens his grip on her arms. "He's a sexual serial killer and you attacked his manhood, his ability to even function. You do not leave my sight or Josef's." He gently rubs her arms where he was holding her. "I'm sorry." Mick drops his hands back to his side. He turns back to the window.

Beth looks at Josef who is looks very grim. "Not you too."

"Yes, I've got more bad news. After you left this evening, I went back into the office down at the stables to boot up the computer. I wanted to see what the stock market was doing in Asia. I found one of Nicky's envelopes on the desk. He was here, on the grounds. I can't fucking believe he was here." Josef points to the envelope on the desk. "I didn't touch it in case you can get something from it."

Mick nods. "I thought I saw more visible security when we pulled up. Before I do that there is something, I need you to see. It's not pretty but you knew the women that are missing. I need to see if you can identify the picture Nicky sent."

Mick puts the gloves on again and pulls the latest pictures from the box. He holds up both pictures for Josef." Mick can tell from the grim look on Josef's face he knows at least one of the women.

"That is Salina, the vamp. No idea about the wolf, but Katrina may have something."

Mick doesn't have to ask Josef if he's sure.

Mick goes to the desk and scents the envelope and sees the same figure sneaking into the office in the stables. Mick sees him place the envelope on the desk. Then he shifts into a werewolf and runs out the door. Mick retrieves his print kit from the car. Still wearing the gloves, he once again goes through the ritual of taking prints off the envelope. Then he opens it. Inside is a white piece of paper and written in the middle of it is the word **Gotcha. **Mick shows it to Josef and continues dusting for prints. "He wants to rattle us. He wants us to know he was here and by the way he's a werewolf. I saw him change. Josef, do you know a sketch artist that can come here on short notice? I got a visual off this envelope and what we found in the other one."

"I can find one." Josef turns to the phone and begins to make a call.

Mick turns to Beth who is pouring herself a glass of scotch at the bar. "Do you think there is anyone still on the force that would run prints for you?"

Josef holds up his hand for Mick to stop. Josef finishes his call and turns back to them. "I'll take care of that. I want them run through wider area data banks."

Mick nods. "If your right and he's Russian then getting them run through Interpol would be a good move. Do you have some who can do that?"

Josef smiles. "Of course. I need to get the prints to the proper people."

An hour later there is a knock on the door and a vampire in a dark suit is admitted. Robert shows him into the den. Josef crosses the room and shakes his hand. He turns to Mick and Beth. "Bernard this is Beth Turner, and Mick St. John. Bernard is with the Interpol office here in L.A. Mick you have the prints?"

Mick crosses to his kit and takes out the glassine bags with small print tapes in each one. "I'm not an expert but I think they came up pretty well."

Bernard looks a bit uncomfortable and glances at Josef. "Spit it out Bernard."

"Mr. St. John, I don't want to insult you, but it would be better if we could have the contents you took the prints from. We need to pull them ourselves. Has anyone touched the contents besides you?"

Mick rocks back on his heels and glances at Josef. "Mick, it's ok. Bernard knows about Katrina's people and he won't let anyone see the pictures who isn't already in the loop." Josef turns to Bernard. "Isn't that right?"

"Of course, Josef. Do I look like an idiot?" He turns to Mick. "Look, one of the reasons I work for Interpol is to keep an eye on our interests internationally. I help protect the community when things flare up. This is exactly why I have this job. I keep this from going public or even getting to my superiors and help find the killer. I can't do anything overt, but I can provide backup help, like running prints, as long as I stay in the background. Don't worry. I won't let anyone have the pictures of the wolf that doesn't already know about them."

Mick nods and relaxes. "Actually no one has touched any of the evidence but me and I was wearing gloves. You won't find any prints but the suspects."

"Very good. I'm impressed. No wonder Josef has you doing so much for the community."

"Thanks." Mick walks over to the desk and picks up both envelopes now residing in plastic bags to protect the prints. "There is one thing, I need a copy of the pictures. I may have someone who may be able to identify one of the women. Josef has already identified the vamp. Her name is Salina."

Bernard nods. "I'll have one of my people pull the prints tonight and fax you a copy of both pictures as soon as they are done."

Bernard turns to the door and Josef stops him. "Bernard, I want to know anything and everything you find. Don't lock me out or there will be hell to pay. I know how you tend to get over cautious and secretive, but I have people involved in this and I need to know what you find."

"Don't worry Josef, we all want this guy caught. I should tell you he's been at this for a while. This is the first break I've had. He's never communicated to anyone like this before." Bernard turns to Mick. "Whatever you need to do to keep him coming back to you, the better. He's usually disappeared before this. The longer you can keep him in one place the better chance there is of catching him."

There is another knock on the door and Robert leads in a female vamp dressed in a beautiful maroon ball gown. She looks at the assembled group. "Bernard, nice to see you."

Bernard smiles at her. "Jessie, you are beautiful as always."

Jessie smiles at Bernard and turns to Josef. "Josef, this better be damn good. I was in the middle of watching the Russian Ballet Company. They are only in town for a week and all the other tickets are sold out."

Josef smiles. "Jessie, I promise, I will personally fly you to wherever they go next if I can't get you another set of tickets. Please, it's very important."

Bernard turns to Josef, "You have a witness?"

"No."

"Josef, then what is Josie doing here? You're not holding out on me, are you?"

Mick and Josef glance at each other and Mick shrugs. "Mick here has certain abilities..." Josef trails off.

Bernard narrows his eyes at Mick. "More and more I understand why Josef has you doing so much for the community. I'm familiar with the talent but have never met anyone who possesses it. You got a visual when you concentrated on the contents?"

Mick nods. "I would appreciate it if you didn't talk too much about what I can do. The less people know the more effective I am."

Bernard nods. "I can imagine." Bernard takes a business card out of his pocket and writes a number on the back. "This is my personal fax number. If you could fax me a copy of whatever picture you come up with, I would appreciate it."

Mick shrugs. "I don't think that will be a problem."

"Good. Josef, Mr. St. John, Ms. Turner, I will take my leave of you and get to these prints. If we get any hits at all I will contact Josef right away." Bernard follows Robert to the door.

Josef turns to Jessie. "Jessie, this is Mick. He has a face he needs you to sketch for him. Are you ready?"

"Yes. Thankfully I never go anywhere without my sketch pad and my pencils. Let's get started." She and Mick move to the desk.

Beth heads for the door but before she can open it Mick is in the doorway. "I meant what I said. You don't go anywhere without Josef or I."

"Dammit Mick. I'm just going to my room to change clothes."

Mick shakes his head. "Josef, until I can make some arrangements please go with her."

Josef nods. "He's right."

Beth closes her eyes and tries to keep from screaming. She thinks of that haunted look in his eyes and takes a deep breath. "Fine, but you better think of something because I am not going to live like this for very damn long."

Josef follows her out the door and he wonders how he can defuse her anger.

Mick goes back to the desk. He sits across from Jessie and he begins to start with overall impressions.

Josef follows Beth into her room and sits on the bed. Beth goes over and pulls a pair of jeans from the dresser and a shirt out of the closet. She throws them on the bed and starts to strip. Josef smiles as she goes about the business of changing her clothes. "Maybe this isn't so bad." He catches her wrist just before her open hand connects with his face. "Beth, slow down. I'm sorry. I was trying to find a way to get you to calm down. It was just a joke."

She finishes pulling her shirt over her head and flops down, laying on the bed next to where he's sitting. "I'm sorry Josef. I'm not mad at you or Mick. I know it's not your fault, either of you. I'm just taking the situation out on the two of you. I love you; you know that."

He leans over and gently brushes her lips with his. "I know, but you've got to find a way to make peace with Mick over this. I don't think I've ever seen him like this. Not even when he threw Denton through the front window of the old house. He's pretty wound up and overwrought." Beth curls up around him. They stay like that on the bed, both lost in thought. Josef looks down at her. "Beth, when was the last time Mick fed? Do you remember? How about you, when was the last time you had something?"

She shrugs. "No idea. He had a couple of scotches at the office after he got the visual on what Nicky had done. He may have fed before we left home. I had something hours ago when I first got up, but nothing since. It's been to crazy."

"Just as I thought and that isn't helping." Josef gets up and crosses the room to her bar and pours her a glass of AB negative. He passes it to Beth. "Drink up." She does as he says and instantly feels calmer. She smiles at Josef. "You are the best. Thanks. I had no idea how badly I needed that."

Josef nods and pulls her up off the bed and kisses her. "Now let's go get something in Mick." Beth nods.

Beth and Josef enter the den and Jessie and Mick are both still going over the sketch. Josef crosses to the bar and pours an A positive and starts to take it to Mick and Beth stops him. She smiles gently and takes it from his hand. He smiles and nods to her. Beth goes over to where Mick is sitting and taps him on the shoulder. He looks up at her and she hands him the glass. "Please?" Is all she says to him, as he takes the glass from her. He smiles softly at her and drinks the glass of blood. He closes his eyes. "Thank you. It's been a long day."

"I know. I'm sorry." She leans down and kisses him and takes the empty glass from his hand. She goes back and sits on the couch with Josef while Mick finishes.

Soon, Josef can tell that Jessie is getting ready to show the picture to Mick and Josef moves behind her to see it first.

Josef looks over Jessie's shoulder. "Shit."

Mick looks at Josef. "You know him?"

Josef shakes his head. "No but I can tell you what he is, he's a Romanov."

"How do you know?"

Josef turns to Jessie. "Do you have any pastels with you?"

"Of course. What do you want?"

Josef points at the sketch. "Hazel eyes and dark hair, like Mick's."

She does what he asks and then hands the sketch to Mick. The three of them stare at the picture. The family resemblance is right there in front of them.

Mick shows Jessie to the door and comes back. Beth and Josef are still in the den and he can tell Beth has calmed down but she's still not going to put up with this for long. "I have to go somewhere. I'll be back in a couple hours. Beth, promise me you won't leave Josef's sight until I get back."

Beth scowls at him and nods. He turns and leaves the house. Beth curls herself up on the couch. Josef watches from the bar. He wonders if Mick understands what he's doing to her. Josef knows that Mick is under a great deal of strain from what he saw. It's scared him badly, but he and Beth are not good when they are at odds. Josef crosses the room and crouches down by her on the couch. "Can I sit with you?"

Beth nods. "Of course." She gets up and moves over so Josef can sit next to her. He puts his arm out and she curls up against his side. He can feel the anger and pain coming from her. Josef thinks the reason Beth and Mick don't fight like she and Josef do is because it's almost physically painful. With Josef it's a completely different emotion. He thinks there are times when she likes a good fight with him; with them it can be almost exhilarating. With Mick though, it just hurts them both so much they need to work things out. Funny the way they both have such different bonds with the same woman. Sitting here with her now he feels that pain but there is an underlying layer of anger. Josef hopes whatever Mick has planned will work. The current plan of her not leaving their sight isn't going to last long. She's likely to do something rash, and rash with Beth is never ever fun.

An hour later Mick walks into the den with two huge vamps in his wake.

Beth smiles at Josef. "_They look like leg breakers._ "

_"They probably are." _He answers

Both men are carrying large suitcases. Mick points to the floor and both men lay them down and start opening the suitcases. Mick turns to Beth. "I went over all the possible choices with Rick and we came up with a large selection for you to pick from." Beth gets up off the couch and she and Josef walk around to look in the suite cases. Both cases contain and impressive collection of guns. They are all sized for a certain amount of concealment. "What I want to do is have you pick out anything that feels good in your hand. The weight needs to be something you're comfortable with. Then we will pick out a couple of different holsters. Then tomorrow night you and I will go to the range here at the house. I will drill you with the damn thing until I feel comfortable that you can hit absolutely anything you aim at."

Josef looks at Beth and sees the real deep interest in her eyes. She turns to Mick. "I know how to shoot."

"I know you do, but I want you to be so comfortable that it will feel like an extension of your arm. Beth, there is no way I can make you understand… please... do this for me. It's the only way to make sure, between your vampire abilities and the guns, you can take out anything that comes at you."

Beth nods.

Mick turns to Josef. "I think you should start packing a gun as well. I know that you're old enough to take on anything that comes along but until we know how he's doing what he's doing… please."

Josef nods. "Alright, I actually had some of the same thoughts. Robert is arranging for the girls to go stay at Jenny's. They will leave early tomorrow. Any other humans will have a few days off with pay. If we are going to have an armed camp the last thing, I want is anyone on the grounds that can't take a round and not get back up. I don't want him to hurt any of the girls. This one is very twisted."

Mick nods. "All humans off the grounds, is a very good idea. Also, if there is anyone who can't shoot, any staff, I mean, they should also be someplace else. Everybody is loaded with silver rounds.'

Josef nods. "Beth, how are you with all this?"

She nods. "Better than having the two of you sit on me. Mick, do you think he'll come back here?"

"I don't think so but then that would be a sane action. This one isn't sane, and I'll be damned if we take chances with any of our lives or that of anyone else. Alright then, that's what we do."

The two men on the floor wait to show Beth what they have. Josef leaves the room to arm himself and Robert. He also wants to make sure the plans to get the humans off the grounds are moving along.

Mick and Beth go about picking a couple of guns for her.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Mick picks up the picture out of the fax machine. It's come back from Bernard. There is also a note telling him that they have not found anything to match the prints yet. Bernard also thanks Mick for faxing him Jessie's picture of Nicky. They are circulating it through some of the Russian contacts but nothing so far.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Mick smiles as he watches Beth squeezes the trigger on the .357 magnum. It has a fair amount of recoil. Thanks to her extra strength and knowing how to stand properly she's not having any trouble with it. She turns to him and they both pull off the earmuffs. "This is much easier than the last time I pulled the trigger on one of these. When… when I shot Lee Jay, it was much harder to hold down the recoil."

Mick turns to the table behind them. "What would you like to try next?"

"None. I like the .357 fine. I can work with this."

"The .357 is a good gun. I suppose you can strap it to your thigh under the right dress. Try this one. It's a .357 but it's got a shorter barrel alignment, easier to hide."

Beth laughs. "You want me to strap a gun to my thigh?" They swap guns.

"I do. You and I and Josef are going clubbing to see if we can catch our killer. In a crowd like that there is no way you go anywhere without a gun strapped on somewhere. I'm thinking that's the best place for concealment."

Beth puts the earmuffs back on and begins to try the smaller .357. She squeezes off a couple of rounds and pulls the earmuffs down. She turns to Mick. "This is a little better. It's a smaller caliber isn't it?"

"Yea, but not much and loaded with silver hollow points it should make a big impact if he's a werewolf. The silver is damn hard on a vamp. Enough loads and it can certainly kill us if we don't get treatment. Werewolves aren't undead like we are, and it will kill one of them in a hurry, even in wolf form."

Beth scrunches her nose. "That's what you saw isn't it?"

Mick nods. "But something doesn't feel right about the whole thing so I want every advantage we can get."

"What if he's not? What if he's one of ours?"

Mick shrugs. "Keep pulling the trigger. Like I said, enough shots and these will put down one of us also."

Beth nods. "Ok, I'll take this one. I know just the dress to buy for it, although I may have to get it altered a bit. Do you have a thigh holster for me? That way I can make sure when I'm trying on the dress."

Mick nods and hands, it to her and smiles. "You want me to show you how it goes on?"

Beth laughs. "I'll call you if I can't figure it out. How about when I'm wearing jeans? You want me to wear it all the time I can't conceal it on my thigh when I'm wearing jeans and we leave home."

"Here is a belt clip. Hand me the gun and turn around." Mick puts the gun in the small belt clip and sticks inside the back of her jeans."

"How's that feel? Can you reach it ok?"

Beth reaches back and pulls it loose. "Yea, that works great. I'll have to wear a jacket or long shirt when we leave home but that's not a problem."

Mick sighs, glad that a decision has been made. "Now it's practice time. Shoot at stationary targets for a while longer and I'll go set up some moving targets for you in the other room."

**xxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Comments are always welcome. **

w


	13. Chapter 13

**Moonlight doesn't belong to me. It's just a place I go to play.**

**xxxxxxxxxx**

Josef opens the door to the range and hears the muffled sounds of gunfire coming from the indoor range. Mick and Beth have been working at this for a couple of days and he wants to see how she's coming along. He grabs a pair of earmuffs before he opens the next door. The loud noise in a confined area is murder on human and vamp ears alike. He leans against the wall watching Beth and Mick.

Frank taught Josef well enough with the weapons they had on hand three hundred and fifty years ago. Modern guns were not one of them. Over the years Josef has learned to be damn proficient with most every legal and illegal weapon. Anything that he thinks will be of use in keeping him alive.

He smiles as he watches Beth and Mick. Over the years he's seen how much Mick enjoys the act of teaching Beth to defend herself. Imparting the knowledge to Beth gives Mick purpose. Josef thinks back to when Beth was attacked in Mick's apartment. All three of them know how lucky she was to get through it alive. Mick swore she would never be at such a disadvantage again.

Mick taps Beth on the shoulder and she stops shooting. They both pull down their earmuffs and see Josef do the same.

"Josef you always look like you belong in a movie with those two automatics strapped under each arm."

Josef smirks at Mick. "It works well, since I'm ambidextrous. Never had a problem shooting with either hand. You asked me to pack a gun and you know I don't do anything halfway. I thought I would come down and see how it is going."

Mick shrugs. "Hey, whatever works."

Josef looks at Beth. "How do you think you're doing?"

"Pretty well. I feel comfortable with this gun. Mick had me running through the moving targets in the other room and I didn't shoot anything I wasn't supposed to. I still a bit more practice but since I already knew how to shoot it's coming to me quickly. The enhanced eye hand co-ordination and better vision certainly doesn't hurt. Oh, and the extra strength to keep the recoil down helps. You want to take a couple shots; you know brush up a little? I don't imagine you shoot much."

Josef snorts and pushes himself off the wall. "Sure, why not."

Beth glances at Mick who seems somewhat amused. She looks back at him questioningly.

"I've seen him shoot." Mick answers her silent question.

Beth shrugs and goes back to watching Josef.

Josef stands in the stall next to Beth. He uses his left hand and crosses his body to pull the gun under his right arm. He takes aim and fires off a round emptying the clip. He backs up and smiles at Mick.

Mick shakes his head. He's seen Josef do this before.

Beth looks at the target and then at Josef. "You only hit it once in the head."

Josef smiles at her. "Look closer."

Mick pushes a button and the target automatically comes forward on its frame.

Beth looks closer and realizes what he did. "You put all nine shots in a ring around the first one. My god. How did you do that?"

"Practice and more years than you can imagine."

Mick looks at the target again. "Show off."

Josef laughs. "Of course. I'm going back up the house. I wanted to see how you were doing."

"Josef, before you go, another day of this, and she should be ready. After that the three of us need to go to Jake's and see what we can find."

Josef nods. "you're right. Beth mentioned that Toby said something about Jake's. I think we're on the right track going there."

Mick turns to Beth, "Do you think that if I or Josef talk to you telepathically in a club that crowded you could hear us?"

"I don't know but I think so. When we had the last party, I talked to you both without any trouble and there were an awful lot of people in the house."

"As soon as we are all in the club, I want you to try it. It would be a very effective way to communicate if there is trouble or one of us spots something."

Beth nods. "Wait a minute. I need at least a day to get my dress and a few days to get it altered so the thigh holster doesn't show."

Josef smiles. "Thigh holster?"

Beth sees the look on his face and laughs. "Good grief what is it with you two and that holster?"

Both men laugh and Mick responds. "Uh, it's very hot imagery. Very Mata Hari or something."

Josef thinks of telling Mick that Mata Hari never wore enough clothing to hide one. He decides he's not in the mood to play twenty questions with them, so he lets it go.

"Beth, do you have something in mind?" Josef asks.

Beth nods. "Yes, something I saw on our last shopping trip that I liked very much but you weren't quite satisfied with."

Josef instantly knows which one she's talking about. "You mean the one with the..." He runs a finger up the side of his leg.

"Yea, that one. The one with the slit up the leg and the low-cut neck."

Mick watches the fashion discussion with amusement.

Josef nods at her. "It wasn't quite the right color for your eyes, but for this it will be fine." He turns to Mick. "How much longer are you going to be at this tonight?"

Mick shrugs. "I was thinking that we are both getting a little tired. Starting fresh for a few hours tomorrow night would be better."

"If we go and see about the dress tonight, they can have it altered in two days or less. Do you feel up to a quick shopping trip tonight?"

"Sure. Are you sure they'll do it that quickly?" That seems like pretty short notice."

Josef smirks at her. "Believe me, for the right financial inducement they will have it done in plenty of time."

Beth shakes her head. "I should have known."

Josef laughs. "Yes, by this time you should have known."

Xxxxxxxxx

Mick tries to get Katrina on her cell phone but just gets her voice mail. He leaves another message. He's been trying to get a hold of her to tell her about the pictures. He wants to fax them to her but doesn't want to do it until she's warned about what is coming over the wire to her. He doesn't want her looking at the picture of the murdered wolf without a heads up. He hopes she and Sergey are okay.

xxxxxxxxx

Josef watches Beth walk back and forth in front of the mirror. The holster is bugging her, and she can't believe no one is going to be able to see it. "I can still see it."

"Ma'am, I'm sure you're a little overly conscious of it. You look beautiful. No one will see it." The Seamstress turns to Josef. "Mr. Kostan, you've got eyes like a hawk and surly if anyone could spot the holster it would be you. What do you think?"

Beth turns to him and starts walking back and forth, facing him this time. "You can see it can't you?"

Josef crosses the room and kisses her. "No. She's right. You're just not use to having it on, so you think it sticks out like a sore thumb. Can you get to it if you have to?"

Beth looks at him skeptically. "Getting to it's not a problem. Are you sure you can't see it?"

"Yes, my love. I wouldn't want anyone to see it. If I thought it was noticeable, I would tell you."

Beth smiles and turns to the woman with the pins sticking out of her mouth. "I'm sorry. I guess you're right. Ok, I'll very carefully take it off and you can do the alterations." Beth goes to the dressing room to change clothes.

The woman sighs with relief. "Wonderful. I can have it back to you in three or four days."

Josef snorts. "Alright Nancy let's cut to the chase. What's it going to cost me to have it done by tomorrow night?"

Nancy smiles. "Mr. Kostan I always love dealing with you. You don't mess around. An extra five hundred should do it."

Josef nods. "We'll be back tomorrow night to pick it up."

"Wonderful. As soon as Ms. Turner gets done changing, I'll start on it."

xxxxxxxxx

Josef watches with deep appreciation as Beth walks into the room. She smiles at the look on his face. "I guess that look means it doesn't matter if it doesn't quite match my eye color."

Josef smirks at her. "You have eyes?"

Beth picks up the couch pillow and throws it at him. She smiles and points to her eyes. "Yes, and you better be looking into them when you're talking to me buster, and not somewhere else."

Josef crosses the room to her. "It's not my fault you're so beautiful and sexy." He kisses her and looks into her eyes. "I love you. How's that?"

Beth smiles softly at him. "Wonderful."

Mick enters and stops when he sees Beth. "Beth you look absolutely beautiful."

"Thank you. You two look wonderful yourselves. I'm going to have two very handsome escorts."

Mick glances at Josef. "About that..."

Beth narrows her eyes at him. "Mick?"

Josef pats Mick on the back and turns to Beth. "I'll wait for you out by the Ferrari. Mick, don't take too long."

Mick smiles and walks across the room to Beth. "Don't look at me like that. I love you and you know you're the only woman I want. You are going with Josef and I will work the rest of the club by myself. If we are all together then it limits what we can see." He kisses her tenderly. "You've enraged Nicky and he may come after you and that's why even with a gun on you, you need to stay with Josef."

Beth eyes him. "I don't like the idea of you being on your own. Do you have any idea what time you'll be inside the club and will it be before us or after us?"

"After you, about a half an hour later. I want to do some recon outside first."

Beth nods. "Alright, do your best to be inside at eleven o'clock and I'll try and contact you and we'll see if it works. If you can't be inside, or for some reason I can't reach you, call my cell or better yet, text me. If you're going to be on your own, I want to make sure you can call for backup if you need us."

Mick nods. "Okay." He moves close to her again. "Beth, please be careful and please stay with Josef."

Beth nods. "I will. You be careful. I want us all to get home safe. I love you."

Mick kisses her tenderly. "I will and I love you."

Beth goes out the front door and finds Josef waiting for her. "Are you ready my lady?"

Beth can't help but giggle at him. "Of course."

Josef opens the door to the Ferrari for her. As she sits down to move her legs in, she lets the opening on the side of her dress slide down. Josef gets an eye full of the gun strapped to her thigh. She smiles to herself as she hears him allow himself a small growl. Beth slides in and Josef moves to the other side of the car and gets in. He leans across the car and smiles at her. "You are a trial. You know that don't you?"

Beth kisses him and gently nips him along the jaw. "Of course."

Josef eyes her. "You're not mad at Mick, are you?"

"No, worried is all. I don't like it that he's alone."

"Mick will be fine as long as he knows you're safe. He's got very good instincts."

Josef pulls the Ferrari up in front of the club. He begins to hand his keys to the valet and stops and looks at him. "There is only one thing more important to me than that car and she's standing next to me. I would suggest you treat it with kid gloves." The valet gulps and nods. Josef hands him the keys and they enter the club.

Josef glances at the bouncer who nods slightly to Josef and talks into his earpiece. He wants management to know they have a high profile, very important guests in attendance. It would be good for everyone if Josef and his lady have a very good night, with lots of fun. Having him come back, even if only on occasion would boost their profile. It could make them much more exclusive. Especially since Josef doesn't frequent the clubs anymore. He disappeared off the circuit of clubs a couple years ago. The gossip has always been about his blond companion.

Josef and Beth enter the main part of the club and come face to face with the owner, "Mr. Kostan, it's been a while."

Josef smiles. "Grayson, I wasn't aware that you owned this club." Josef turns to Beth. "Beth this is Grayson. He owns several of the clubs I have had the pleasure of attending over the years."

Grayson nods to Beth, who smiles at him. "I bought it from the previous owner, Jake and left the name alone. He had to leave the country rather quickly, the feds you know. I'm in the process of bringing it up to the standards of my other clubs, then I'll change the name."

Josef nods. "Good for you."

"You'll find it's a pretty evenly mixed crowd. A little of this and a little of that."

Josef smiled. "Beth has recently met a few of our furry friends. She knows about them."

"Very good. Now, is there anything I can get for you and your lady friend? A good fresh vintage or maybe some other delight?"

Josef turns to Beth. "Beth, anything in particular you'd like?"

"Thank you, but no. I'd just like to watch the people and look things over."

"Very good ma'am." Grayson turns to Josef. "As always Mr. Kostan, if you need anything don't hesitate to call on me."

Josef nods as Grayson leaves them. Josef turns to Beth but before he can say anything, he has Mandy is in front of him. She's wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him. Josef is for once taken completely by surprise and hesitates for a heartbeat. Which is of course all it takes for Beth to turn on her heels and walk off. Josef peals Mandy off his neck and looks at her. "You have got to stop doing that."

Josef looks after Beth as the crowded club swallows her up.

"_Beth Stop Now!"_

The bouncer sees Mick and nods as he passes. Mick never was one to hang out in places like this, at least not in the last thirty years. All the bouncers in town know him as he pays well for information.

Mick hears his phone ring and answers it. "Katrina?"

"Yea, Mick. Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner we were out of cell range. What did you find?"

"Bad news. I'm going to have Robert fax you two pictures. One is of a wolf that is like the others. You may be able to identify this one. I'm sorry. The other is a sketch of a suspect. He's a one of yours. See if you can find out anything on either of them. I didn't want to send the pictures to you without a warning."

"Thanks Mick. I'll be waiting."

Mick calls Robert. "Hey, I need you to do me a favor. Next to the fax machine in Josef's study there are two pictures with a phone number at the top. Can you please fax them out right away to that number?"

"No problem. I'll take care of it right now."

"Thanks Robert."

Mick looks up and starts to scan the crowd. He sees Josef walking towards him, alone.

"Where in the hell is, she?" Mick asks

"She's pissed and she walked off a couple minutes ago. I'm going to go get the owner to let me look at his security cameras. They move towards the bar to have the bar tender signal Grayson.

"Dammit Josef. What the hell happened? She told me she would stay with you."

"Mandy happened."

Beth looks at her watch and realizes it's eleven. She decides to try and talk to Mick since she's not talking to Josef.

"_Mick?"_

"_Where are you? You get your butt over here and I mean now. So, help me Beth if you don't there is going to be hell to pay."_

"_To hell with you too then."_

_" Beth, do you have any idea how dangerous this temper tantrum you're throwing is? You told me you would stay with Josef. Tell me where you are now."_

Beth sits at the bar for a moment. She knows Mick is right. This is stupid. What did she expect after all the years Josef spent in places like this with all the women in this town who he dated? Dumb.

"_Alright. I'm sitting at the far end of the bar. I'll wait for you here."_

Mick looks at Josef. "She's waiting for us at the end of the bar. I think I made my point."

Beth sees them move towards her and she can see that she's not going to get off easy. Both are pissed. Mick gets to her first. "Josef is going to take you home."

Beth shakes her head. "I'm not going anywhere."

Mick continues. "I'll call Victoria. She and I'll scope this place out.

Beth sighs. "No." She doesn't argue, she doesn't raise her voice she just says no.

Both men look at her and know that short of a knock down drag out she's not going to let them take her home. Mick eyes her warily and leans in close to her. "I want your word that no matter what or who happens you will not leave Josef's side. Beth, look at me."

She looks him in the eye. "I promise. Mick, I'm sorry. It was childish and I shouldn't have taken off. I was just blindsided by the redhead. It won't happen again."

Mick sighs. "Alright. I'm going to go look around." He kisses her. "Please no more temper tantrums." She flinches at the apt description and nods.

Beth looks at her hands in her lap. Waiting for the next admonishment from Josef.

As Mick moves away into the crowd, he claps Josef on the shoulder and smiles. "Let's try this again."

Josef nods and moves towards Beth. He puts his finger under her chin and makes her look up at him. "No more running. No matter what."

Beth nods and moves into his waiting arms. "No more. I'm sorry."

Beth snuggled into Josef's arms. She looks behind him and he feels her freeze in his arms. He leans back and her eyes show nothing but fear.

"_Beth, what's the matter?"_

"_Behind you! Don' t move. He might realize we're here."_

"_Is it Nicky?"_

_"I don't know. He looks exactly like the picture but… he's not a werewolf or a human. He's a vamp."_

_Josef looks at her questioningly. "Are you sure? There are a lot of people in here. You could be getting crossed signals."_

_"Josef, reach out. I know there are werewolves inside, but do you sense any close? I'm going to call Mick."_

_"Yes, call Mick but be sure and tell him exactly where the guy is so he can watch him unobserved."_

_"Mick, he's here. I see him."_

_"Beth, where are you? Are you with Josef?"_

_"We are both still where we were at the bar. Same spot. The guy is standing behind Josef, almost exactly where you were standing a few minutes ago. Mick, he's a vamp, not a werewolf. Come look and see if you think it's the same guy."_

Josef wants to turn around but doesn't want to spook Nicky if it is him.

_"On my way."_

Josef sees Mick off behind Beth's shoulder working his way in through the crowd. Mick stops and find a place where he can see Nicky's reflection in the back-bar mirror.

_"Beth, it is, and it isn't. Just like everything else about this guy. It's like the voices. They are and they aren't."_

Josef sighs. _"This is ridiculous."_ Josef turns around. "Excuse me, I need to reach across you for a napkin. I'm sorry to get in your way."

The man looks at Josef and smiles. "No problem."

Josef turns and hands the napkin to Beth._ "Tell Mick, I found his hundred-year-old Russian vampire."_

_"I heard that." _Mick tells her.

Beth beams at Josef. _"I did it! You can hear each other now."_

Josef smiles down at her. _"Nice work. Mick, we need more information. Any suggestions or thoughts?"_

Mick shrugs_. "Turn around and make conversation. See what happens. Beth, I'm behind you. Come to me and let Josef see if he can talk to this guy and find something out."_

Beth looks up at Josef. He nods at her and she reaches up and kisses him. _"Be careful."_

"_Don't worry."_

Beth turns and weaves her way through the crowd to Mick. Josef doesn't move until he sees Beth with Mick. Josef turns and stands at the bar and orders a scotch. He glances at the man standing next to him and takes his measure. Vamp, around a hundred years old, very slight Russian accent. Now all he needs to do is find a way to meet Nicky and Toby. Josef is sure that this vamp has a connection to them.

**xxxxxxxxx**

**Comments are always welcome. **


	14. Chapter 14

**Moonlight doesn't belong to me. It's just a place I go to play.**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Josef is sipping his drink when the vampire next to him turns and smiles. "Hey, where did that beautiful lady go that you had on your arm?"

Josef smiles. "She's spotted a friend." Josef holds out his hand. "My name is Josef."

The vamp holds out his hand as well and they shake. "Edward. She's very beautiful. Hopefully she's got the temperament to match."

Josef smiles. "She's a challenge sometimes but she's young, she keeps me busy."

Edward nods. "You must have it bad. How long have you been together?"

"In one form or another for almost five years. Not long in vamp time, but in four hundred years, I've never thought anyone was ever going to make me this happy."

"You're very lucky."

Josef laughs. "Don't I know it."

Josef sees the wistful look on Edwards face. "It must be nice to be so close to someone else. I've been around a little over a hundred years myself and it can get lonely."

Josef nods. "A hundred... do I detect a Russian accent? I spent a lot of time in Russia a hundred to two hundred years ago."

"Yes, I was born in Russia. I grew up in St. Petersburg. What part of Russia were you in?"

"Same general area. I was living with some rather unusual types not far from St. Petersburg."

Edward smiles. "You mean the large pack of werewolves that live in the neighboring woods?"

Josef smiles. "Yes, I was in love with a very beautiful brunette for a while. She had the most beautiful hazel eyes. Not a bad way to while away the winters in that part of the world. Have you ever spent any time around them, werewolves I mean?"

Edward shakes his head. "No, I know a few but I've never lived with any."

Josef tries to be very nonchalant and still study the man closely. "I spoke to one on the phone the other day his name is Toby. I never did get his full name. He sounds a little like you. He must be from the same part of Russia."

Edward nods. "It does not surprise me. Lots of my countrymen have come to America."

"Well, Edward time for me to collect my car and my lady and be off."

"What kind of car do you have? I love cars."

Josef laughs. "That makes two of us. I have a red Ferrari with me tonight."

"Very nice."

"Yes, it is. The only thing that means more to me than that car is Beth, the blond you saw earlier."

"Do you think I could see the Ferrari?"

Josef shrugs. "I don't know why not. Come on."

They move away from the bar. _"Mick, can you still hear me?"_

"_Yes, Josef."_

_"We're going out to see the Ferrari."_

"_We're already moving to the door."_

"_Good."_

Josef starts to signal the valet to get his car and Edward turns to him. "Is it far? I'd rather walk out to it. If it's parked here, I can't look at it without blocking the drive area."

Josef turns to the valet. "Give me my keys and point me in the direction of the car. We'll walk to it so I can show it to my new friend here."

The valet hands Josef his keys. "Are you sure? It's about a block that way." The valet points out to the somewhat poorly lit parking lot.

"Not a problem. We can manage just fine."

The valet shrugs and hands Josef his keys. Josef and Edward move off in the direction of the car.

Mick and Beth watch from the shadows. _"Josef, we'll keep you in sight, but we are going to have to stay back to keep him from knowing we are here."_

_"That's fine. Let's see where this goes. I don't think he has a clue who any of us are."_

They approach the Ferrari. Edward who started by following Josef is now walking a little bit ahead of him. Josef doesn't see the key in Edward's hand until he sees him run it down the side of the Ferrari. Josef completely vamps out. "What the hell?"

Josef stalks Edward as Edward moves to put the Ferrari between them. Josef looks at Edward's eyes and takes in the sudden change in his demeanor. He realizes that Edward is no longer standing in front of him. "Hello Nicky."

Nicky laughs. "You're a quick study Kostan, I'll give you that. Most people are taken by surprise by the switch they never see death coming."

Josef shakes his head. "Not tonight, not here and not by your hand."

Nicky nods. "Oh, I know that. I know St. John and the bitch are not far off. I just wanted to stick it to you through your precious car. Next time it will be her."

At the threat to Beth Josef pulls his gun. "Nicky, there will be no next time."

Mick sees this and pulls his gun also. Both take aim at Nicky.

"Oh, but there will." Josef watches as Nicky disappears and Josef realizes he's seeing Toby. Toby sees him pointing a gun at him. He looks very lost and confused. Josef hesitates for an instant at the change.

From there everything seems to move at once. Mick and Josef both pull the trigger. They both aim for Toby/Nicky/Edward's head wanting to make sure he goes down for good. They see Toby quickly shift. Both shots are much too high. Both men take a second shot. Later Josef realizes that Toby shifted faster than Josef has ever seen a werewolf change and he is gone. He has no idea whether either of them hits their target.

Mick and Beth walk over to where Josef stands staring at the wide scratch down the side of the Ferrari. He's running his fingers over it. "Damn, this was my favorite."

"Josef, what was that? What did we just see? He went from vamp to human to werewolf in a matter of a minute."

Both men are talking but watching Beth as she wanders around the car seeming to be looking for something.

Josef looks at Mick to tell him he has no idea when he hears Mick's phone ring. Mick looks down and flips it open. "Katrina?"

Josef turns to watch Beth.

"No, Mick its Sergey. We just got home, and we saw the pictures you sent."

"Is Katrina okay? I know the picture of the wolf is terrible. Does she know her?"

"I don't know. I showed her the picture of your suspect and she curled up in a ball in the corner and she won't look at me. All she said was Alexander Nicholas Romanov. Then she shifted and won't make a sound. She won't even acknowledge she can hear me. I'm very worried about her but I thought you should know. I have no idea what this means, do you?"

"I don't, but if I find anything out, I'll let you know. Sergey let me know how she is tomorrow. Maybe Josef will know someone who can help her if she's not better."

"Thanks Mick. I will." He hangs up.

Mick turns to Josef and Beth to relay the information about Katrina. Before he can Beth disappears into the dark behind a couple other cars. Both men in alarmed unison say her name. "Beth?" as they move towards her last position. Beth comes back towards the car and smiles at them both. She's holding up her finger and smiling. "Found some blood. Used my nose to sniff it out." She crinkles her nose. "Doesn't smell like vamp blood though."

Josef looks at her somewhat irritated as he walks towards her. "Lovely. Please stay here close to us. Please?" She nods as he sniffs her finger. "Well, it's not vamp blood. You're right about that. It's got the properties of a living being, like a human or werewolf. Other than that, I can't tell anything else. Let's hope it's Nicky's and the son of a bitch is bleeding to death."

Mick moves to where Beth disappeared and sniffs the blood. He sees the wolf take one in the hindquarters but keep moving. He signals for Josef and Beth to follow him. He doesn't think it's safe for any of them to be alone out here. Josef and Beth follow behind Mick as he trails Nicky's blood loss. After about 200 yards the trail of blood stops. Mick scents the last of the blood trail and sees Nicky shift again where the trail stops. He turns to Josef and Beth. "He shifted back to either Nicky or Edward, here. If I had to guess the reason, he shifted was so that the vamp could take over and heal the body. If he only took on one bullet, even a silver one, the vamp could take it and heal the body, unlike the human or the wolf."

Josef nods. "Let's go back to the car. I don't detect him out here but until we figure out what the hell, we have on our hands there is no use taking any chances.

Once back to the car Mick remembers the call from Sergey. "Before I forget, that was Sergey on the phone. It sounds like Katrina's had a breakdown of some sort. She saw the picture I faxed her of our suspect, and she curled up in the corner and shifted to wolf. Just before she shifted, she said Alexander Nicholas Romanov."

Mick watches as Josef's knees start to give way. Josef holds on to the Ferrari and shakes his head. "Well, I guess that pretty much explains it all."

Beth moves to Josef and hugs him. "Are you ok?"

"We need to go home. You ride with Mick."

Beth shakes her head. "No. You're scaring me. I'm staying with you."

Josef nods towards Mick. "Beth, go with Mick."

Beth gets in the Ferrari without another word. She hears Josef sigh and knows she's won. He turns to Mick. "Where are you parked?"

"Just over a row."

"Be careful and meet us at home."

Mick nods and gets to his car. On his way home he wonders what the name Alexander Nicholas Romanov means to both Josef and Katrina.

xxxxxxxxx

Beth watches Josef pace the room waiting for Mick to join them. The ride home had been somewhat wild. Beth is sure that had she not insisted in riding home with Josef he wouldn't have gone home. He would be on a run through the desert. There is so much pent-up conflicting emotion coming from him that Beth can't identify what he's feeling. She knows one thing though; he needs to talk this out.

"I'm going to my room and change out of this dress and let my hair down." Josef starts to speak, and Beth holds up her hand. She pulls the .357 from its holster on her thigh. "See, I still have it. I won't lay it beyond my reach, and I'll put it back on when I change. Mick gave me a small holster for my jeans."

Despite himself and the evening's events he smiles at her. "Alright but be quick."

"I will, don't worry. I don't dare leave you for long. You've got that 'run through the desert' look on your face."

Josef smirks at her. "You know me far too well."

Beth kisses him. "Josef, if you still have the urge to do that again, I only ask that you warn me first. Please."

He nods reluctantly. "I will. Don't worry. Now go get comfortable."

Mick and Beth enter the den together. He takes one look at Josef and shakes his head at Beth. He doesn't have to be an empath to see that whatever the name means to Josef it's not good. Beth goes over and sits down on the couch. Mick sits opposite her in the chair.

Josef moves to the bar and pours himself a drink and turns to Mick and Beth holding up the bottle. Mick nods and Beth shakes her head. Josef pours one for Mick and hands it to him. Mick realizes for the first time, since he's known Josef, he is seeing regret and self-loathing on his friend's face.

Josef glances at Beth as he sits down next to her and begins his story. "Remember when you said you knew there was more to the story that I told you about Katrina?"

"Yes. I remember."

Josef looks down at his glass and then up at Beth. "You were right, and it appears against my wishes I'm going to have to tell you both all of it." He braces himself against the memories and throws down his drink in one gulp and begins his story. "A hundred years ago I spent a great deal of time in Russia. I had inadvertently saved one of the pack members from a mob. I don't usually have many do-gooder impulses, but he was in the right place at the right time. I managed to get him free of the mob while doing the same for myself." Josef smiles at a happy memory. "That was Sergey, it's how we met. I found out that he belonged to a large pack that's been living outside of St. Petersburg for generations. Because of what I'd done for him, for the first time ever they allowed an outsider to live in the pack. It was a very interesting experience. It also gave me the ability to understand them better. When it came time to figure out a way to find peace between our people, I had an edge"

"Sergey became a good friend. He and I talked for hours about the world beyond Russia. Getting out of Russia and seeing more of the world became his passion and soon he was gone. If he had been there maybe it would have turned out differently, but you can't live on what ifs."

"In the time I stayed with them I met Sergey's twin sisters, Katrina and Anya. It wasn't long and Katrina and I became lovers." Josef smiles at Beth as he sees her scrunching her nose at him. He smiles at her. "I love you so much."

Beth smiles at him tenderly. "I know." She nods for him to continue.

"They were twins in appearance but that was as far as it went. Anya was fragile emotionally and physically. Like so many in those days she had been taken as a werewolf by force. In the, 'I hate what I am' category; Anya had Mick beat, even at his worst, by a mile. She never ever admitted to anyone that she was anything but human. To my knowledge she never turned into a wolf voluntarily. The only times it ever happened she was hurt or sick and her body took over and she shifted to heal. Poor little Anya." Josef shakes his head sadly at the memory.

"The next village over was populated with humans. Anya met and fell in love with one of these humans. To my knowledge she never let him know what she was and I'm not even sure that he loved her back. I know that when she stopped meeting him, he never came to find out why. The reason that she stopped meeting him was that she was pregnant and starting to show. She was deliriously happy that she was pregnant. She was sure once the baby was born the father would be equally ecstatic and they would be a happy little family."

Beth hears the bitterness in his voice and begins to rub his back. He shrugs her hand off and glances back at her. "I'm sorry. Right now, I don't deserve your sympathy."

Beth moves around him so she's kneeling in front of him. She looks up at him. "Josef, no matter what's happened, no matter what you've done, I'll always be there for you. I love you. Don't ever forget that."

Josef leans down and kisses her on the forehead. "Thank you."

Mick clears his throat and they look across at him. "She's right. We're in this together for the long haul. You know we've always got your back."

Josef smiles and kisses Beth again. She moves back up to sit next to him on the couch, gently rubbing his back. He can see that she's trying to calm him like she does with Mick. Josef smiles, it's never been like that for them. Usually his emotions whether it be anger or something else fuels hers. Their negative emotions feed off each other until they burn themselves out. This awful regret he's feeling is a new emotion between them and she's doing her best to help him through it. He sighs; knowing they are here for him helps a great deal. He still needs to tell the story but as terrible as it is, he doesn't feel like he is alone with the memories anymore.

Mick gets up and crosses to Josef and takes his glass. "Another?"

Josef nods. "Yea, even with your support this is not going to be easy." Mick hands him his drink Josef continues. "When Beth asked Katrina about werewolves and babies, she only got part of the story. They can have children and as Katrina said, it depends on what the parents. The problem is, if the father is human, the mother and child will both die, at least that was the case a hundred years ago. These days with a good doctor, who knows the score, they can save both. They just need the right drugs and a quick C-section. Werewolf physiology being what it is, whenever they are hurt or sick, they shift. It's pretty much automatic in childbirth. If the child is a werewolf that's not a problem, baby shifts when mom shifts. It's instinctual. If the child is human however, mother and child usually bled to death. The birth canal of a wolf isn't made for a human child. In those days a C-section was out of the question. Even with their ability to heal; no werewolf could come back from that amount of blood loss.

Mick begins to feel sick as he realizes where this is headed.

Josef takes a deep breath and Beth continues to rub his back and comfort him as best she can. "Anya died?"

Josef shakes his head. "Yes, but not from the birth."

"But you said..."

"Yes, I did. As I look back, I can see how Katrina manipulated me to try and save her sister but, in the end, it was all for nothing. A couple of days before the birth we took Anya away from the village. Along with the pack members, I thought that Katrina would kill her sister. A quick death rather than see her die slowly as she went into labor and bled to death. I thought she wanted her away from the pack as a mercy to all. There is a certain amount of empathy that runs through a pack. I thought that Katrina didn't want to inflict that on the others. We moved her to a cave a mile or so from the pack. The time came and Anya went into labor. Katrina begged me to turn Anya right there on the spot before she turned into a wolf. I was dumbstruck. I couldn't believe she would want such a thing for her sister who couldn't even manage being a werewolf."

"You could turn a werewolf? Can they turn us into werewolves?"

Josef shakes his head. "No, nothing can affect that kind of change on us because we are dead. You don't come back from that. However, because they are alive as werewolves, we can turn them if they are in human form. It must to be done quickly and in a certain way so they can't change into wolf form. It's tricky but with the right abilities it can happen."

Mick gets up and takes Josef's glass and refills it. He doesn't bother to ask if he wants another. Mick feels like he's been punched in the gut and that's just from hearing it. He can't imagine what it feels like to relive the tale.

Josef nods his thanks and returns to the story. "Katrina begged and pleaded, and the pressure was on to do something for Anya before she shifted. Katrina thought that if I turned Anya, they would still lose the baby, but at least Anya would be in this world as a vamp." Josef stares at the floor. "To my eternal shame I buckled. Every instinct I had was screaming at me that this was a very bad idea, but I buckled and gave into her pleading. I turned Anya. Once turned, she of course did not shift to a werewolf and was able to deliver the baby, who amazingly enough lived. He had a heartbeat, he breathed, and he was human. In retrospect I guess I should have been more curious at the fact that he lived. I had after all brought Anya death, but what the hell do I know about babies? I thought he was close enough to being born that he was independent of his mother and that's how he survived."

Josef shakes his head to try and clear it. "Katrina named the child Alexander Nicholas Romanov. She took him away to be raised by someone else. I have no idea who. You certainly can't have a fledgling and a newborn living under the same roof. Anya's blood loss and thirst for blood were quite heavy. Her body needed the extra blood to heal the entire trauma but somehow it worked. Katrina returned the next day. I fed from Katrina and Anya fed from me. We stayed in the cave for a few days and then I said good-bye to Katrina and took Anya away."

"I intended to come back with Anya the next year after I got her past most of the fledgling stage. In the days ahead I continued to feed Anya my blood and we bonded. Even though I was her sire under unprepared circumstances and against my better judgment, we still had the bond of a fledgling and sire. It just wasn't enough." Josef looks down at his hands. "I tried very hard to do the very best I could for her under the circumstances."

"She finally started to come out of the fog that consisted of nothing more than eating and sleeping. One day she asked me the question I had been dreading since the day I turned her. She asked me what happened to her child. I did the one thing no sire should ever do to a fledgling; I lied to her and told her the boy had died. Because I was her sire, she took it as the truth and never questioned it. It sent her into a tailspin she never came out of."

Beth can hear the grief in his voice even after all these years. "I wanted to tell her the child lived but to what end? She would never be able to see him or be with him. It was far too dangerous for them. If she inadvertently hurt the boy, it would kill her just the same. In the end she committed suicide with a lethal dose of silver. I buried her alone on a hill. I wandered Europe for the remainder of the year. I was more broken than I can remember. Even though the circumstance of her turning was unusual she was my fledgling. I felt like part of me died."

Beth hugs him tight trying to help him through this. Josef leans back on the couch and draws her in close. "When the year was up, I decided to go back and see Katrina. It was time to tell her what happened to Anya. When I told her what had happened, I realized that whatever we had, died with Anya. I blamed her and myself for what had happened, and it was never going to be right again. When the chance presented itself, I told her to go. We never saw each other again until the night she showed up at the party."

**Xxxxxxxx**

**Comments are always welcome. **


	15. Chapter 15

**Moonlight doesn't belong to me. It's just a place I go to play.**

**xxxxxxxxxx**

The three of them sit in silence trying to grasp the tale Josef just finished telling them. Mick breaks the silence. "I'm still trying to figure out what Nicky is and what he can do."

Mick glances at Beth and sees her silently shake her head. Josef, so intent on the memories he doesn't notice.

Mick can sense how hard this was for Josef and knows Beth is right. "There is a lot more we need to go over, but I think that we all need to take a break. It's been a long night. I feel dawn approaching. How about we take this up again after some food and sleep. I doubt much is going to change on the Nicky front between now and then."

Josef nods. "That's fine. Sleep sounds nice about now."

Mick smiles and leaves the room for his freezer.

Beth watches Josef closely. She sees the pain and sorrow in his eyes. She tries to decide the best approach. "Josef, you know, my nightmares are still happening now and then. I was wondering if I could sleep next to you tonight."

Josef smiles at her and kisses her softly. "I love you and you don't have to make excuses because you think I need you. You, more than anyone I've ever loved, knows how much I need you with me." He stands and pulls her up off the couch. They walk up the stairs arm in arm to Josef's room. Josef turns to his freezer and Beth stops him. She takes his hand and pulls him towards the bed. She kisses him deeply. Josef feels the comfort of her emotions and body mix with his. He sighs at the flow of love and acceptance she gives to him in that one kiss. Beth looks up at him and gently massages the back of his neck, feeling the tight muscles. Josef feels himself getting lost in her soothing caresses.

As he lays on the bed he reaches over to the mahogany nightstand and knocks on the top of it.

Beth smiles and looks at him curiously. "What was that about?"

He smiles softly at her. "Luck, mines been running pretty good for the last few years. That's my way of asking the universe to keep it up."

Beth kisses him. "It will. If we protect each other, everything will be alright."

Josef kisses her tenderly and gets up off the bed. He takes Beth's hand and she gets up off the bed and they climb into Josef's freezer together. The last thing Josef thinks before he goes into the oblivion of sleep is how nice it is to sleep with Beth's body entwined with his.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Toby looks down at his leg again. He sees the small indent of the scar that wasn't there before. He doesn't know why the vampire in the parking lot was shooting at him. He knows the bullet was silver and yet he's still alive and he doesn't know why. He ran as fast as he could from the man, but he must have another blackout. That's the last thing he remembers. He wakes up the next day with nothing but a scar to show for the bullet. He scans the internet trying to remember where he's seen the man with the gun. He knows he's seen him somewhere before. He can see him in the back of his mind. He decides it must be time for him to move on. In the past he's always hit the road when the blackouts start getting scary. He's not sure why he's even stayed here this long.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next night Mick gets up early. He enters the den and sits at the desk and calls Sergey.

"Sergey, how is she? Has she come out of it?"

"No and I'm really worried. I have no idea how to get through to her because I don't know what has happened to set this in motion."

Mick thinks about this for a minute. "I may have some answers later tonight. I'll try and call you depending on how long it takes. If it's too late do you want to wait and call early tomorrow night?"

"Mick, if you find out anything that might help me figure out what's set this off, you can call day or night."

"Will do. I'll see what I can do." Mick hangs up and goes to pour himself some A positive. He's surprised at how much he misses going to feed from the girls.

Beth rolls over and reaches for Josef only to find him gone. She finds her gun in his place. "Damn."

Josef enters the den and finds Mick just hanging up from talking to Sergey. "How is Katrina?"

Mick shakes his head. "Not good from the sounds of it. Josef, when we figure this out, we need Sergey bring Katrina here. You need to tell him the story and we can see if we can get through to her."

Josef nods. "That's fine but let's see if we can get through the rest of it first."

Beth enters the room and Mick pulls her in close to him and feels around behind her back for the gun. He finds it and smiles down at her. "Thank you."

She gives him a sour face and backs up. "It's not the most comfortable thing in the world but I'm getting used to it. I might as well, if I'm going to wake up with it next to me." Mick arches an eyebrow at Josef who shakes his head and turns her around so she's facing him. "I'm sorry. Just sort of restless this morning."

Beth sighs. "I'm sorry, just a bit cranky. Let's try this again." She walks over and kisses them. "Good morning." Beth takes the blood out of the fridge and holds the bottle up. "Breakfast anyone?"

Josef gets up and starts to pace. Beth can tell they are about to have the next part of this discussion.

Mick breaks the silence. "Josef, from all you have told us, what do you think Nicky is, or can do or... I don't know even how to describe what we saw last night. One minute there was no heartbeat and he was clearly a vamp. The next there is a heartbeat of a human and then last off all I saw him turn to the wolf and disappear into the night."

"Maybe split personalities." Beth suggests.

Mick shakes his head. "Can't be, that alone. There were actual physical changes. That's far more than a personality disorder."

Josef sighs and takes his seat from the night before next to Beth. "I think he's a chimera of sorts. In the mythical sense a chimera was like a griffin or a sphinx, parts of different animals in the same body. What we have here is three different complete entities sharing the same body. It seems that Nicky can take control since he was present first. Nicky is the child that Anya gave birth to and who still had a heartbeat. What the vampire blood did to him, filtered through Anya's body I have no idea. I thought he was unharmed. Somehow, Anya's wolf is still there even if the child is human, maybe the werewolf portion is dormant. Then if you add in vampire blood… you get Toby. Maybe Nicky did die for a second and it was enough to bring about Edward. Add in the psychological trauma and here we are. There is no way to know the whole how and why."

"Maybe that's how he was able to sneak up on his victims by being whatever they were. Being a vamp or werewolf, and then at the last second Nicky took over, making quick work of the kill. Obviously, Edward and Toby don't have any knowledge of anyone other personalities. I wish I knew if Nicky can tap into their abilities as a vamp or werewolf."

Mick shakes his head. "I don't think so because if he could he wouldn't have needed to switch to Toby to change into a wolf."

Josef nods. "Very good point. So, they must be separate except that Nicky can take charge of the body whenever he wants. Now, that I think about it though, that doesn't seem quite right either. Toby shifted and was gone so fast. They may not realize it, but while they can't use each other's abilities, they can tap into extra stamina and power. It would also explain if some of the vamps they killed were older than they are."

Beth thinks about that poor little baby. "Josef, do you have any idea where Katrina took him, who raised him? He has such terrible anger toward women, enough to be killing them. You heard how awful he was to me. In the beginning I didn't do anything to provoke him. He was mean, and nasty. Is he like that with you two?"

Mick thinks about it for a minute. "You know, you're right Beth he's never been like that with me unless he's talking about you."

Josef shakes his head. "I don't know where she took him. She never said. She just left with him. Beth, I don't know where the anger stems from and we may never know. He could feel abandoned by his mother; he could have been told all sorts of tales as a child. Anya's denial of what she was could have been transferred to him and manifested it in this anger. Nicky apparently knows about Edward and Toby. Maybe... maybe he remembers somewhere in his subconscious his mother killed by a vampire. He was still inside her when she died. You know, I drained her when I turned her and until this moment, I never stopped to wonder why it didn't drain him as well. I have no idea the kind of trauma the birth inflected and what his life was like. It's time to bring Katrina and Sergey into this."

Beth growls at him. "No."

Josef looks at her. "Beth, if you're still jealous, you have to know there is no need to be."

"It's not about being jealous. It's about keeping you safe from her. I don't want her near you. What she did to you, to her sister... she's capable of anything."

Mick gets up and crosses over to where she is sitting. He kneels next to her and takes her hand. "Beth, if anyone should understand where she's coming from, it's you. There was no way she could know it was going to turn out like this."

Mick watches her and winces when he sees the pain on her face. "Thanks Mick. I needed that reminder that I'm no better than she is."

Beth stands up forcing him to move out of her way. She looks at them. "I'm sorry. It's a bad mistake to bring her into this. I don't trust her, and I don't want her to hurt either of you." And she leaves the smell of tears in her wake.

"Damn, I didn't mean to hurt her. I thought I could make her see that this is nobody's fault."

"You were talking about when she tried to get you to turn Josh?"

"Yea. I better go talk to her."

Mick gets up and leaves the room. He finds Beth on the balcony of her room staring out into the darkness. "Mind if I sit down?"

She doesn't look at him. She shrugs.

Mick moves the chair over closer to her and sits down. "Beth, you know I wasn't trying to hurt you. I wanted you to remember that sometimes desperate people do desperate things."

Beth nods. "I know. Mick, I don't want her anywhere near you or Josef. After what Josef told us... I'm afraid for him. He's going to try and make this right and there is only way to do that. Nicky needs to die. The three of us have a better chance of making that happen without her and Sergey around. Nicky is her family, her dead sisters' son, and I don't trust her to do what needs to be done and not endanger either of you."

Mick nods. "You and I will keep a close eye on everyone. We are the only two not invested in this mess, except for Josef's wellbeing. We both agree that the best thing for all is if Nicky gets a bullet."

Beth nods. "Or whatever it takes."

Mick continues. "So, we'll watch and make sure that Josef doesn't end up in over his head because of Katrina. You know, it's not because he loves her, right?"

"I know, but he feels responsible and that's almost as bad. You know he tries so hard to live without regrets so when he has one it hits him hard. First Sarah... and now this thing with Katrina and Anya. It's funny but you can see why he spent so much time trying to get you to accept what you are."

Mick nods. "You can see where the whole humans and vamps don't work, not a good idea. Yada… yada… yada… comes from." Mick kisses her. "You're amazing."

Beth looks at him confused. "How did I get into this?"

"You're the only woman I've ever known that could get me to accept my vampire and get Josef to fall in love with a human. I know he was in love with you before he turned you."

Beth smiles at him. "I wouldn't have bothered if you two weren't so wonderful." She lets out a sigh. "I'll tell you what, you and I agree right here, right now, our priority is Josef and getting him through this in one piece. I'll do whatever you think we need to do. I trust you to know what's safe for us."

Mick smiles at her and sticks out his hand. "Deal."

Beth smiles at his silliness but takes his hand and they shake on it. "Deal."

Beth and Mick return to the den to find Josef pacing the room. He looks up and relaxes a little at Beth's smile. "Everything ok?"

"Yes, we worked it out. Now, what I want to know is why your pacing around like a caged cat again."

"I've been thinking about bringing Katrina and Sergey into this as soon as we can. We need more answers."

Josef watches Mick and Beth exchange a glance. "What do you two have up your sleeve? I know that look."

Beth smiles at him and looks up her sleeve. She looks up at Josef as innocent as she can manage. "Josef, I don't see anything up my sleeve."

Josef moves swiftly across the room and smiles down at her and then looks across at Mick. "I mean it. I need to know what's going on. I need to make sure you two still are with me on this mess."

Mick shakes his head an amused look on his face. "Josef we're always are with you. You know that. We made a pact that as the only two people in this without a personal agenda we would get one."

Josef looks down at Beth. "And that would be?"

"Keeping you from getting in over your head or letting Katrina get you in over your head. Once was enough. I think the three of us can agree on how this needs to end. Nicky has to be put down."

Josef lets sighs and nods in agreement.

"We want to make sure that happens without you getting hurt in the process. Does that work for you?"

Josef kisses her gently. "Yes, and I think this is a very good idea. I like the idea that at least someone involved in this doesn't have an emotional connection to Nicky. Having one to me is much better."

Mick claps Josef on the back. "Ok, let's have another drink and I'll call Sergey and have him get Katrina here so we can find a way to pull her out of her break. You're right we need more answers."

Josef pours two more scotches and Beth signals that she'll take one as well. Mick takes his drink and flips open his phone and calls Sergey. "Hey, Josef and I think you need to put Katrina in the car and bring her over here. Josef has a story to tell you, but it needs to be in person. It's not something he can do over the phone. Then maybe we can come up with a way to help Katrina. Is that feasible? Do you have a car available? I can come get you if need be."

Sergey is silent for a moment "Hold on a minute." Mick hears Sergey shuffling around and then he comes back to the phone. "Yea, that can be done. Our next run would have been with a car, so we already have one rented. I'll pack a bag for both of us and we'll be there in about ninety minutes." Sergey hangs up.

Mick turns to Beth and Josef. "Ninety minutes. If we need to talk about anything you don't want them to hear, now is the time to do it."

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

**Comments are always welcome.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Moonlight doesn't belong to me. It's just a place I go to play.**

xxxxxxxx

Mick and Josef hear Sergey pull up out front. They go out to help him with Katrina. Josef enters the house and is carrying Katrina, still in wolf form. Sergey has a couple of bags for them and Mick is opening doors for Josef.

Josef takes Katrina and puts her on the couch in his study. He calls Robert into the room. "There are a lot of things that I need to discuss with Sergey, and I need Beth and Mick with me. Can you sit with her? I need someone here to watch her and protect her if need be."

Robert nods. "Of course."

Josef grabs a blanket and covers her hoping some warmth will help. "If she shifts, call right away but I have a feeling she's going to stay curled up in a ball for now."

Robert nods. "Not a problem. Let me grab something to read and I'll sit right down and make sure she's all right. Tell Sergey not to worry."

Josef nods and goes back to the den. "She's on the couch in my study. Robert is with her. He'll call if there is any change at all."

Sergey nods. "What is this story you have to tell me?"

Josef sits down across from Sergey, Beth and Mick stay in the background. This is something Josef needs to do. He first relates their run in with Nicky at the club and then the tale he told Beth and Mick earlier about Nicky's origin."

Sergey looks up at Josef. "No wonder she's in that state and she doesn't even know the half of it. I feel like joining her. And then I think of our sister, little Anya. I wish I'd been there. Maybe I could have talked some sense into one of them. So, now I know the whole story. Josef, what do you think we should do?"

Josef watches his drinks swirls around the glass and then looks up at Sergey. "Sergey, I think you know what need we need to do. The question is can you admit it and better yet, can we get Katrina to admit it?"

Sergey gets up and walks around the den. "I need go outside. Is it safe?"

"Do you think we always walk around armed to the teeth? No Sergey, everybody on the property is armed. I would rather you don't go anywhere alone unless you have a gun. I have information that he has been at this for some time. I don't know that he won't start killing men, now that we've confronted him and know who he is."

Sergey sighs. "I swore I would never hold another gun in my hand, but you have convinced me. Do you have an extra gun I can use? I really need to go outside and see the stars."

Josef pulls one of the Magnums out his holster and hands it to Sergey. Sergey takes it and expertly checks the safety and the clip. "Thank you. I won't be long."

Josef holds up his hand. "On second thought I would rather you not walk the grounds, even armed. My security guys don't know you and everybody on the property has a gun. I have a better idea. Come with me."

Josef takes Sergey to the pool. Sergey looks around. "This is very tropical looking."

Josef nods and pushes a button and the roof rolls back revealing the stars. "Beth thinks the average pool is to sterile and boring. So, we have a pool in the middle of the house with a roof that rolls away. She told the designer to put in plantings that make it look like you are in some tropical forest. Beth and the girls use this one more than either of the other two."

"You have three swimming pools? Why?"

Josef smiles at Sergey. "Beth as a thing about water. The upkeep for this thing is steep but Beth and the girls love it, so here we are. I've had to send all the humans away, so you won't be disturbed. I'd feel better if you would do your thinking here if you could."

Sergey smiles at Josef, "Thank you Josef, this will be fine. Tell Beth she has excellent taste. This is very nice."

Josef turns and leaves Sergey to his thoughts. He stops and turns back. "Sergey please keep the gun handy at all times. Nicky has been here in the grounds. He left a note so we would know he was here. The security is really beefed up but still, he's killing vamps and werewolves that he shouldn't be able to. I'll tell Mick you need a holster."

Sergey nods and watches Josef leave.

Josef returns to Beth and Mick. "I'm pretty sure he will come to the right conclusion, but he needs some time to come to grips with it. They don't put down their own lightly, but this goes so far beyond the pack." Josef looks at his watch. "Hopefully once he realizes there is no alternative he can get through to Katrina. Then we can get some more answers and figure out the next step."

Mick watches Josef carefully "And what if they don't?"

Josef shakes his head. "Then we take care of it on our own. We sure as hell can't leave him out there killing because they don't have the guts to admit that it's the only answer. Before I forget do you have another holster? I gave him one of my magnums for protection."

"Yes, I'll take Sergey to try a couple on once he comes back."

Josef looks across at Beth. "What's wrong beyond the obvious?"

Beth looks a little embarrassed. "I miss the girls. I miss Henry... I want warm blood. You've spoiled me rotten."

Josef laughs as he looks at Mick and sees a bit of the same chagrin. "Believe me you're not alone. I think even Mick is feeling the loss of them."

Mick nods. "I do and I never thought I would. It's more than the blood though, they fill the house with a presence that makes it feel much emptier without them."

Beth smiles and looks at Mick "It's their life… even the background sounds of their heartbeats. It fills the house with so much more."

Josef nods. "I never realize it until something happens and I have to move them from the house."

Sergey walks in and finds the three of them during missing the girls and shakes his head. "You three are the most unusual vampires I ever met."

Josef points at Mick and Beth. "It's these two they are a bad influence on me."

Sergey snorts. "Yea, sure."

Josef turns serious. "Well, have you decided what to do about Katrina?"

"Josef, I've tried everything I can think to get through to her. Even this new information it doesn't give me any place to go with her because I wasn't there when it happened. Whatever happens you're going to have to be the one to talk to her and she might need a little time."

Mick shakes his head. "Sergey, we don't have much time. Nicky keeps killing. We need answers and then he needs to be dealt with."

"I know but if you handle this wrong, she's going to dig in her heels, and nobody is going to get anything from her. I know my sister and Josef so do you. You know that she shifted because the pain and guilt of what's happened to all those people. She's going to want to fix it as much as you do. The problem is she may not want to fix it the same way."

Josef paces the room. "I'm going to go talk to her. I'm as much to blame for this as anyone, maybe I can get through to her." Josef glances at Beth when he hears a low growl from that part of the room. He moves to her. "I love you; you know that."

Beth nods and kisses him and then nips him along the jaw. Josef smiles, knowing exactly what she's doing, she's marking him. She's making sure that Katrina smells her on him. Josef gives her another kiss and turns to Sergey. "Figure out what she might like to eat if I can get her to come around and shift back. I would think she's going to need food. All the humans are gone including the chef but maybe you and Beth can find something." He turns back to Beth, "Can you do that for me."

Beth smiles and nods at him. She turns to Sergey, "Come with me, we'll try and find something for her."

Josef smiles as Mick silently follows Sergey and Beth into the kitchen.

Josef takes a deep breath and walks down the hall to the study. He finds Robert reading a book. Robert sees Josef. "She hasn't done anything but whimper in her sleep or whatever she's doing. Josef, I get the feeling she's in a great deal of pain."

"I know but it's time for her to stop feeling sorry for herself and Anya. I need her help to deal with Nicky. I'm going to try and talk some sense into her. You can go ahead and go back to whatever you were doing."

Robert leaves the room leaving Josef to stare down at Katrina. Josef sits on the floor next to the couch. He gently pets her and scratches her behind the ears. He tries to make her feel comfortable and safe. Soon he begins to murmur to her. He tells her she's safe. He tells her that it' s not her fault that that they did the best they could. He tells her he needs her to wake up and come back so they can put things right. Josef continues his gentle attempt to get her to come out of her self-imposed trance. He keeps trying to reach her.

Beth looks at Sergey. "You have to give me some suggestions. I was never a great cook but if you can tell me what she might like when she wakes up, I might be able to find something close. I have no idea whether she's even going to want her food cooked or not."

Sergey smiles. "You may not be a great cook but I am. Let me look around. She needs protein and lots of it. Other than the fact that our system burns more calories at a faster rate we pretty much eat like regular humans. We don't eat things raw unless we are hurt so bad, we can't shift and then it's raw meat and lots of it to fuel the healing process." Sergey turns to Beth, "You don't have to stay with me. You've shown me the kitchen; I'll fix her something. How about if Mick peaks in and sees if Josef is making any progress." Beth nods and they leave him to it.

Josef watches as the hazel eyes blink and try and focus on him. He tucks the blanket in around her and begins to talk to her again about coming back to them so they can set things right. Josef watches as she shifts to her human form. He smiles at her. "Hey, nice to have you back."

"Dear god Josef, what I did, what I caused, all those women."

Josef gently brushes the hair out of her eyes. "Sssshhhh. It's not your fault. You had no way of knowing where this was all going to lead. Listen, Sergey brought a bag for you. I'll go get it and you can get dressed and we'll see about getting some food in you."

Katrina silently nods.

Josef gets up and meets Mick walking down the hall. "She's awake and she's shifted. Do you know where that bag is that Sergey brought for her?"

"I'll go ask him. He needs to know she's awake. He's in the kitchen trying to find her something to fix for her to eat. He told Beth he's a good cook, so we left it for him. I'll be right back with her bag."

Josef goes back and kneels next to Katrina and relays the information to her. "Listen, I need you up on your feet and feeling halfway decent so we can fix this. Please don't go back down into the darkness again, ok?"

Mick walks in and hands Josef her bag. "Tell Sergey to bring her food in here when it's ready. She's going to need to eat and have some time to pull herself together."

Josef takes her bag from Mick and sets it on the couch next to Katrina. "I'll turn my back while you get dressed. I don't want you alone in here. Sergey will be here soon with food and then I'll leave."

Katrina sits in silence trying to get the energy up to move to get dressed. She thinks back to the time when Josef would never have turned his back while she changed clothing. She sighs. That one impulse, that one plan to save her sister. She lost Josef for good, she still lost her sister and she put her a killer on his path. Katrina thinks the darkness was a much better place.

Sergey enters the den with a tray full of food. Mick gets up. "Follow me, I'll show you where she is."

Katrina moves like a sleepwalker. She gets up and fumbles through dressing herself. She can't seem to focus on anything but the past. She keeps seeing Anya's face, she sees Alexander's face as he was the last few times, she saw him. She begins to cry, and she doesn't know how to stop. She looks up as Sergey enters the room with a tray of food. Josef is gone.

"Hey, nice to see you again. I was so worried about you." He tells his sister.

Katrina starts to cry as Sergey sets the food down. "I'm sorry… so sorry… I didn't mean to worry you… I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Anya and the baby… Oh, Sergey, what have I done?"

Sergey holds his sister and lets her cry it out. He thinks this more than anything is what she needs. She needs to finally let it all go. When she has cried herself most of the way out, he can see she's very sleepy. "Katrina, listen, I know you're tired and I know you need some rest, but you have got to eat. They have a wonderful kitchen here for Josef's humans and I made some of your favorites. Please eat and then you can get some sleep and we can get a fresh start on this tonight. Please, for me?"

Katrina nods and sits up. She doesn't think she can eat but she will try for Sergey.

Sergey moves the food so it's in front of her. She looks down and is suddenly ravenous. The wolf in her knows this is what her body needs. She begins to eat in earnest. Once done her eyes start to immediately close. Sergey swings her feet to the end of the couch and covers her with a blanket. He sees another one on the couch and covers her with that also. He's sure she will sleep several hours.

Beth moves over and sits next to Josef. "How are you doing with this?"

Josef smiles weakly at her. "Beth, listen, if it seems like I'm being very considerate or overly… listen. Katrina might need some emotional support to keep from breaking down again..."

Beth wrinkles her nose at him. "Josef, I understand what you're trying to say. It's ok. The important thing is getting to Nicky." She takes his hand and squeezes it. "Do whatever you have to. I told you I'm with you. Just know that if I think she's going to hurt you or suck you into anything that will hurt you, I won't let it happen."

Mick looks out the window as the dawn approaches. He turns when he hears Sergey enter the room. Beth and Josef both turn to him also. Sergey shakes his head. "She's stayed human which is a good sign. I got food in her and she's sleeping. I know you're in a hurry to get this underway, but you won't get anything out of her the way she is now. Let her sleep through the day. We recoup quickly as a rule and she should be up about the same time you normally would be. I've been watching over her for two days so I could use some sleep as well."

Josef nods. It doesn't sound like the have much choice. "Then we will start over tonight when we are all up and moving again."

Beth steps forward "Sergey, we have several guest bedrooms. If you want to carry her in to one of them, she can sleep in a bed. We can put you in the room next to her so you can both be more comfortable." Beth tells him.

"Thanks Beth, but she's fine. We're both use to sleeping in odd places. I'll sleep in there on the floor. I'll be fine. I want to be in the same room with her. I don't think she will wake up but there is no use taking chances."

"On the floor? You shouldn't have to sleep on the floor. Not only that but did you make yourself something to eat?"

Sergey smiles at her, "I'm going to shift. It will be fine. I made extra for Katrina and ate some of that. I'll tell you what; if it would make you feel better, I could use another blanket to curl up in. I used the two that are in there on Katrina and I don't want her shifting because she's cold. She needs to stay human."

"I'll be right back." Beth comes back a minute later with a soft comforter and hands it to Sergey, "This should be soft and comfy."

He bows slightly to them all. "I'll see you when she wakes up tonight."

Beth sighs and turns to Josef and Mick "Kiss, me. I'm going to bed. This whole thing has worn me out."

Mick and Josef happily do as she requests and watch as she leaves for her freezer.

Josef pours himself a glass of AB negative. Mick shakes his head when Josef asks if he wants a glass as well. "No, I'm going to get some shut eye as well. I'm very interested, if after all this, to see if Katrina has any more information than we've already found out."

"I hope so. I'm going to finish this and get to bed too. I hope Beth isn't still having nightmares. All this stress may make it worse. Hopefully she's so tired she'll sleep straight through."

"Josef, I think if either of us sense's anything out of the ordinary we need check on Beth first to make sure she's okay. Once that's done, we can figure out what's going on."

"Good idea."

Xxxxxxxxxx

Mick is standing in front of Beth, protecting her from something. She can't see what it is. He's putting his body in front of her as a shield. She manages to peak around him and sees Katrina pointing a gun at them. "You are not going to kill Anya's baby. I won't let you. I'll shoot you and Beth before I'll let you hurt her baby."

Softly Mick looks at her. "You'll have to kill Josef too. He won't let you get away with this."

"I will if I have to."

Beth hears the gun go off and she feels Mick take several hits in the chest. She sees him dead on the floor, Katrina standing in front of her waving the gun at her. Beth sits up in her freezer and bangs her head on the lid. She slams it open, grabs her gun and moves through the house. She feels disoriented and dizzy, but she will avenge Mick.

Josef sits straight up and pops the lid on his freezer as he does. He realizes immediately that Beth is on the edge of a complete hysterics. He is up and out of the freezer in a second. He reaches out and senses her in the den. He quickly makes his way to the door and enters the room. What he sees completely takes him by surprise. Beth is facing Katrina and Sergey with a gun in her hand. Sergey has the gun Josef gave him, but it's pointed at the floor, not anywhere near Beth. She is completely vamped out. Mick silently comes in behind Josef to stand next to him. They glance at each other. Josef slides in behind Beth. He gently grasps her around the waist with one hand. At the same time, he takes her gun hand with the other. He points the gun at the ceiling. Beth knows instinctively who it is. "I'm going to kill her. She shot Mick. I'm going to kill her."

Softly in her ear Josef whispers to her. "Beth, Mick is fine. He's behind us." Hearing this Mick comes around in front of her and gently takes the gun from her outstretched arm.

Beth looks wide-eyed at Mick.

She hears Josef. "Tell me what happened."

"I saw her shoot Mick. I saw him dead on the floor. I came in here and Katrina and Sergey were in here. I... was sure... I saw her… Mick... was dead."

"Beth, why would she do that?" Josef asks.

Beth starts to cry. "To protect the baby… I don't know. She did a terrible thing to you… how do I know... what she would do to you and Mick."

Mick unloads her gun and turns back to her. He gently kisses her. "I'm fine. I was asleep in my freezer." Before Mick can react, she's in his arms crying. Josef takes the gun from him. "Take her upstairs. I'll be there in a minute." Josef watches as Mick carries her away.

Josef turns back to Katrina and Sergey. "I'm sorry. She's having nightmares about one or both of us being hurt and not being able to find us or help us. The stress and fear of this thing is fueling nightmares. It's making her afraid, which are fueling more nightmares. This just started recently so I had no way of knowing how bad it is for her. While you're in the house Mick or I will sleep with her until they settle down and she gets a handle of them."

Josef watches Katrina and Sergey glance at each other. "Josef, I didn't think that vamps had dreams or nightmares."

"I only know one other vamp that does. That's why I didn't realize how much trouble she was having. This is the first times she's been so disoriented that she's walking around half a sleep and freaked out. What are you two doing up? Katrina, I thought you would sleep longer."

"I woke Sergey to show me the kitchen. I was thirsty. I wanted a drink. We came back from the kitchen and Sergey wanted something out of the bag he packed for himself. He left the bag in here. Suddenly there was Beth with a gun."

Josef shrugs. "Like I said, I'm sorry. I'm going to go see how she is. Twilight will be in a few more hours. We'll see you then."

They watch as he turns and leaves.

Mick sits down on the couch and Beth crawls into his lap. "I'm sorry. I was so scared. I thought you were dead."

Josef sits down next to them and rubs her back.

Mick pulls back a little from her and smiles softly at her. "I'm fine."

Beth turns to Josef and moves between them. She puts her arms around Josef's neck and hugs him tight. "I'm sorry. I freaked. I must have had a nightmare."

Josef can feel her shaking in his arms. "Beth, as long as Katrina and Sergey are in the house you should either sleep with me or Mick. You'll get a much more relaxed night's sleep having one of us with you. If you get up in the night, we will know it and get whatever it is you need."

Beth nods. "I think that would be a good idea. I may not like Katrina much, but I sure don't want to shoot her for no reason."

Mick looks at her with a smile. "As I recall it must be my turn to chase away the daemons."

Josef laughs and Beth looks from one to the other. Mick winks at her. "I'll tell you later."

Beth rewards him with a yawn.

Mick laughs and picks her up and heads for his freezer.

Mick lays her down in the freezer and climbs in next to her. Beth snuggles up next to him and lays her head on his shoulder. He wraps an arm around her and in an instant she's sound asleep. Mick looks down at her and gently kisses her. "I love you."

Xxxxxxxxxx

**Comments are always welcome.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Moonlight doesn't belong to me. It's just a place I go to play.**

**Xxxxxxxx**

Josef enters the den and pours himself breakfast. He sees Sergey and Katrina walk in with a couple of plates of food. Sergey glances at Josef. "Hope you don't mind."

Josef shakes his head. "No problem. Do whatever you need to. It's too bad the chef is gone."

Sergey looks quizzically at Josef. "How's Beth?"

"I'm sure she's fine. I haven't seen her yet this morning. She slept with Mick last night." Katrina sees the half smile on his face. "It was his turn to chase away the demons. She was pretty upset when she realized she was having a nightmare when she thought Mick had been shot."

Sergey nods. "Surprised me seeing her standing there with a gun. She was sure Mick was dead."

Josef looks at them. "Thank you for not pointing a gun back at her and for not shooting at her. She's going to feel bad about what happened. Please don't make it any worse than it needs to be."

Katrina scowls at him. "You didn't have her waving a gun at you."

Josef growls. "You know, we can handle this on our own. Keep it up and I'll throw your ass out of here."

Sergey looks from Josef to Katrina and back again. He gently nudges Katrina and nods to her.

Katrina looks at Josef. She remembers what Vanessa said about the quickest way to make an enemy of Mick was to get into it with Beth. Apparently the same holds true for Josef. Katrina sighs. "I'm sorry. Not a word about it out of me. You know she hates me, that's why she decided I was the one who hurt Mick."

"It's not that she hates you, although I'll admit she's not crazy about you. She doesn't trust you and she's afraid you're a threat to Mick and me. We are all a little overprotective of each other. She complains because she thinks Mick and I are too protective. The truth is she's as bad as we are. There are just a lot less threats to us than there are to her."

Katrina looks across the room at Josef and shakes her head. Still so surprised at their arrangement. "This really works for the three of you... I just can't imagine. You used to be so… possessive."

Josef smiles. "I still am, if anything I'm worse. If it were anyone but Mick, he'd be dead, no question about it. It's hard to explain how much they mean to me. Mick and I have been good friends for more than fifty years. We are very different, but the friendship makes us both better. Mick is as close to a brother as I'm likely to get. I had no intention of falling in love with his small blond human, but it happened. Then when she asked me to be her sire, when I realized she loved me back… it took us a while but here we are, together."

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Mick lays on his side, watching Beth sleep. It is very weird to watch a vampire sleep like a human. Even Beth isn't animated in her sleep. If Beth were breathing, he would swear she was still human. He watches her eyes flutter under her eyelids and wonders what she's dreaming about. He hopes it's a pleasant dream.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Beth walks into the den. She glances at Josef and then turns to Katrina and Sergey. "I'm sorry about last night. The nightmares are bad. I can't…. really tell the difference between the dreams and reality. I didn't know vamps don't dream or I would have told Josef sooner. I thought everyone had dreams and it would get better... I'm sorry."

Josef watches her. He can see how hard this is for her. He pours her breakfast and before anything else is said he is at her side with a glass in his hand. "Hey, I have breakfast for you. Drink up."

She gives him a kiss. "Thanks." She takes the glass of AB negative and drinks it down. "Much better."

Mick enters the room and pours himself breakfast as well. He looks at the group "It looks like everybody's been fed."

Sergey smiles and nods and turns to Josef. "I know you don't use it but Josef that is a very nice kitchen. Your chef is very lucky."

Josef tilts his head. "I'm glad to hear an outside opinion that it's a good kitchen. It costs me enough to feed the girls and the rest of the humans around here."

Beth sits in a far corner with her feet tucked under her. Mick watches her and decides she needs a little moral support. He heard her apologizing to Katrina and Sergey about the trouble last night. He sits down beside her. He leans back and tilts his head and smiles at her. "I love you; you know that."

She smiles at him. "I know. I'll be fine. Don't worry."

"I'm not worried. I'm just here."

Beth leans against him and they watch Josef. He's pacing which means he's ready to finally get to what he hopes Katrina knows. Josef looks down at Katrina. "I have some questions. Scratch that, I have a lot of questions."

Katrina sadly nods. "I know. You want to know what I know about Nicky."

"What I want to know is everything that happened from the minute you walked out of that cave with that baby in your arms."

"Josef, I'm sorry. I don't think I can do that. You want to hurt him."

Josef growls at her. His anger at her and himself bubbling to the surface. "Katrina so help me if you don't tell me exactly what I want to know. If anyone else dies because you've gotten on some damn high horse, I'll make sure you regret it. I have a responsibility for this mess and with or without you we are going to put an end to that monster. I hoped you would help us track him down so we could do it quickly before anyone else is dead."

"He's not a monster. He's Anya's baby. He's my family. Josef, I can't let you hurt my family." She cries.

Josef turns to Mick. "Tell her, tell her what you saw. Tell her what has been going on and what he is." Josef turns back to Katrina "Anya would be horrified by what we have done, and you know it. It's time to put an end to this."

Mick stands up and starts to do as Josef asks and Josef holds up his hand to stop him. "Give me a minute to get Beth out of here."

"I'm fine." she tells him.

Mick shakes his head slowly. "No. He's right. Beth, I can't. Not the way you've been reacting to this. I can't do this with you in the room." He watches her, pleading with his eyes. "Please go with Josef."

"I've told you before, you don't fight fair." She looks at Josef. "Either of you."

Josef crosses the room and holds his hand out to her. She sighs and takes his hand. "Alright but you call us when you're done."

Mick nods and watches as Josef leads her out of the room. He turns back to Katrina and Sergey. "It's time you got the whole story start to finish on Nicky."

Josef leads Beth out the room and down to the stables. Beth turns to him at the door. "I can't believe you brought me down here and didn't tell me so I could bring treats."

Josef laughs and holds up a bag of carrots and apples.

Beth shakes her head in disbelief. "How did you do that?"

He smiles at her. "I'm resourceful and I had a hunch this might be the way it would go. I know chef cuts a lot of these up ahead of time for you, so I threw some in a bag just in case. Katrina can be stubborn, but once Mick tells her all of it, she will change her mind." He hands Beth the bag of treats and goes over and sit down at the table and chair in the corner. "The thing about Katrina is that when I told her what happened to Anya, that was when she started her mission in life. As Vanessa said she's the nexus of all those vamps and werewolves in her family. I may not have seen her in all these years, but I've heard about the things she's done to keep vamps from leaving us like Anya did. She's been at this for a hundred years in the memory of her sister. I'm not sure if she is going to be able to get around that to help us. Hell, it's been a hundred years, she may not remember anything to help us."

Beth sees the pain in Josef's eyes starting to resurface and she crosses the room to him. "I'll tell you the same thing I told Mick. We'll get him and we will put a stop to this."

He silently nods. "I know it's just that I bare so much responsibility for the damage and you know how I feel about regrets."

"Josef, you can't dwell on the stuff you can't change. All you can do is fix things, so they don't continue on this path." Beth pulls him up out of the chair and hugs him tight. She looks up at him. "I love you so much. I need you to tell me you're getting through this, that you're not going to do something crazy."

He snorts at her. "You mean like a nighttime ride through the desert or some other crazy stunt you don't even know about yet?"

Beth looks at him wide eyed and nods.

"I'm doing pretty well, considering the circumstances. The 'whole talking things out' helped quite a bit. I never had anyone like you and Mick to do that with before." He looks at her ruefully. "No one I would have trusted with amount of emotional pain." He kisses Beth lightly. They both look up when they hear Kingston whinny and Smokey join in. Josef nudges her towards the animals. "Your two friends over there are trying to tell you something."

Beth gives him one tight hug and moves to feed the horses and notices her gun in the holster under his arm. "Can I have my gun back?"

"I would rather not. I gave one of mine to Sergey, let me hold on to yours for a while."

Beth scowls at him. "That means I can't be out of your or Mick's sight again doesn't it?"

"I'm afraid so. Please go with me on this, at least till we see if Mick can get through to Katrina."

"Alright, for now." She walks over to the horses and begins to feed them their treats, as they wait for Mick to call.

Mick paces back and forth telling Katrina everything they know about Nicky. What he is, what he's done to women in both communities. She tries to move closer to Sergey for emotional support. He stands and walks across the room watching her. He hates to do this to her, but he has no choice. Mick and Josef are right. Nicky needs to be put down and if Katrina can help, she must.

Sergey and Mick watch as she begins to curl in on herself. Sergey moves to her quickly as he realizes she's about to shift. "Katrina don't do this. Don't run from this. Face up to what needs to be done. Stay human and tell Mick and Josef what they need to know."

She nods and wraps her arms around her brother. Mick calls Josef to come back to the den. Once there, they sit back and let Mick continue to deal with Katrina. "Katrina, now tell me everything that's happened since you took the baby away from Anya."

"I knew that Alexander… Nicky… could never see her again. I thought if Anya thought he was dead it would be the last thing holding her to this life. That she would be able to move on as a vampire. I took him away. He was raised by humans. I took him to the orphanage in St. Petersburg."

Josef sits straight up. "You took him to the nuns?"

"Josef, I thought he was human. I thought he'd lost us all forever. I know what they preached about us, but I didn't think it would matter since none of us would ever see him again."

Mick turns to him. "What's wrong with that? I admit that they make tough teachers, but I had nuns around me when I was growing up, my father was Catholic and I... did... okay." Mick falls silent as he thinks about his inability to accept his fate for so many years.

Josef throws up his hands. "Exactly. Look, I've got nothing against the church; they're fine for what they do for the humans. I've even had some odd dealings with them a time or two. The demonizing of vampires and the werewolves, to the peasant class is legendary. For you to offer up one of your own to them is unbelievable. With a wolf and a vamp personality inside him, no wonder he's off the deep end."

Katrina looks down her hair falling in front of her face, tears splattering on the floor. Sergey puts his arm around her. "There was nowhere else to take him. Keeping him with the pack wasn't an option. It was the only orphanage in the area. You know what it was like for humans in those days, the food shortages, the rationing. There was no one else to take him in. Most of them had enough trouble trying to feed their own kids. The nuns were the only ones who cared enough to watch out for those who had no one else."

Mick glares at Josef. "Josef this isn't helpful."

Josef shakes his head. "I'm sorry. Mick's right. Katrina, I know you did what you thought was right. I'm sorry; you didn't have a hell of a lot of options. What did you tell the nuns?"

"Not much. I told them that his mother had died in childbirth and that he had no home. They didn't ask a lot of questions. They were used to situations like this. I did tell them that his mother was my twin and I left Anya's picture for him. I don't think they believed Anya was my twin, but they didn't say anything. There were so many young women that gave up babies they couldn't feed."

Beth looks at Josef questioningly.

"What?"

"A picture?"

Katrina smiles through the tears at the memory. "On our birthday that year Josef took Anya and I into St. Petersburg and paid for us to have our pictures taken. It was a new curiosity in Russia and very expensive. It was a wonderful present. Unlike vamps, if we are in human form the old silver emulsion film worked fine. Of course, now the digital cameras work all the time."

Mick prompts Katrina; "You took him to the orphanage. Then what? When you got the fax from me, how did you know it was Nicky? If you hadn't seen him since he was a baby how did you know it was him?"

"Oh, that wasn't the last time I saw him. I went back about twice a year when he was growing up and I would sneak into the orphanage at night. I would check on him. I watched him grow up. I couldn't completely abandon him. The last time I saw him he was seventeen. When I went back the next year, they had made him leave because he was eighteen and they couldn't keep him anymore. I tried to find him but never had any luck. I haven't seen him since and that was eighty years ago. I thought him long dead by this time, since he was human. His hybrid nature must be keeping him alive. He looks a few years older in the sketch, but I would recognize him anywhere. That is Alexander Nicholas Romanov, Anya's son."

Mick looks at Josef, "I think we all need a break." He turns back to Katrina. "Let's take a break so you can catch your breath. Have a drink; take a nap, whatever you need. We have to try and figure out what to do next and everybody should be thinking clearly."

Josef watches Mick and smiles to himself. Mick wants to talk to him away from Sergey and Katrina for some reason. "Beth, why don't you go into my study and take a cat nap on the couch in there. The rest will do you good. I've got some paperwork in there to attend to, so I'll go with you." Josef turns so no one can see his face but Beth and he winks at her.

She smiles at him. "I guess that's not too bad an idea." Beth walks over to Mick and kisses him.

He smiles down at her." I'll be there in a minute."

Mick turns to Sergey and Katrina. "Sergey, you still have the gun Josef gave you?"

"Yes."

"Katrina don't go anywhere without Sergey and that gun. We took Beth's gun from her but that also means she doesn't go anywhere, even in the house without either Josef or me. That's how bad Nicky scares me."

**xxxxxxxxxxx**

**Comments are always welcome. **


	18. Chapter 18

**Moonlight doesn't belong to me. It's just a place I go to play.**

**xxxxxxxxxx**

Mick glances at Beth laying on the couch as he enters the study and sits in front of Josef's desk. Josef watches him. "So, what do you think?"

"I think we've learned about all we are going to from Katrina, some of it very useful. Josef, you know that part of the world and that time period. How valuable were pictures? Were they important enough that the nuns would have kept Anya's picture to give to Nicky when he was old enough?"

"Most assuredly."

Mick watches Josef who has a funny look on his face. "As I said, I have in the past had some dealings with the church that were odd for a vampire." Josef looks off into the distance or a moment. He turns back to Mick. "I have a fairly good idea of what the church was like in those days." Josef looks a little embarrassed. "I uh... spent some time as an assistant priest."

Mick's mouth drops open. To say he is surprised is putting it mildly. "Josef... you…a vampire… a priest? How did that happen?"

Beth sits up and quietly and listens to the conversation.

"They were persecuting people, the inquisitions, as they liked to call them. Vanessa and I had just missed getting hunted down by hop scotching across Europe. I was eager for a haven. More than ready to sit out the whole torch and pitchfork mob scene, never mind the hot poker and the rack. So, I posed as an assistant priest for several years. The priest in this area was an older vampire who had the same idea. It worked out well. We covered each other's tracks."

Mick is still looking at Josef somewhat incredulous.

Josef shrugs. "I was a nobleman's son when Vanessa turned me. I had a good education and I knew Latin. My father made sure to stay on the churches good side, so we went. I knew the routine. The Catholic Church was a force to be reckoned with in those days and no one crossed them easily. So, I hid out in plain sight. This was the mid sixteen hundred. It was also easier for Vanessa to get by without having to watch out for me." He smiles across the room at Beth. "The worst part was the whole celibacy thing. What is that about?" Beth snickers at him as he continues. "I have a good idea of how the nuns tended to think. They would have done everything they could to preserve that picture. They would have wanted to give it to Nicky when he was old enough. To them it was proof that he had family, a link, and maybe with the picture he could find his people. The problem with those old photos was they tended to fade. If they kept it from the air and sun light, it may have lasted a long time. If Nicky was smart, he may have had it reproduced before it faded all together, a lithograph, maybe."

Josef can tell Mick has an idea. "You're not going to tell me what you want to do are you?"

"Not yet. I need a couple things from Katrina and then it's time for her and Sergey to go home to Russia."

At the mention of Katrina going home to Russia, Beth wants to add her two cents. "Good."

Both men smile. Josef looks at her. "Take a nap."

Beth gets up off the couch and moves towards the two. She's scowling at Josef. "I am not four years old. You do not get to tell me to take a nap. I only came in here and pretended to because you and Mick wanted to talk, and I knew you don't want me to be by myself."

Mick reaches out and pulls her down into his lap. He whispers in her ear. "Believe me, we both know you're not four years old."

Josef smirks at her when he hears Mick's words. "He's got a point."

Beth kisses Mick's cheek. "I'm guessing you have this all figured out?"

Mick nods. "For the most part, at least how to trap him." He looks at Beth. "It would probably be helpful if you stayed quiet until we get what we need from Katrina and they leave." Mick glances at Josef, "Beth is right about one thing. Katrina is not going to be of any help when it comes to making sure Nicky is taken care of."

"I can keep very quiet if it means she is leaving." Beth adds

Josef leans back in his chair "Are you sure you're not going to need Katrina for anything? I can't believe I'm going to suggest this but if you think you might need her down the line, we can keep her here if need be." Josef looks down at his hands. "They both can be held whether they like it or not."

Mick shakes his head. "No, it's better for everyone if they go home."

"That's it then." Josef gets up and pours everyone a glass of blood. "I find I need to drink more often if it comes out of a bottle." Josef hands them both a glass. "Drink up and we'll get this thing moving."

Mick, Josef and Beth walk back into the den. Katrina is curled up on one end of the couch and Sergey on the other. Both are in wolf form. Mick walks over to the desk and takes out his digital camera. He takes several pictures of Katrina sleeping and motions for Josef and Beth to follow him out. They go back down to the study. "If they are both that tired, we might as well let them sleep for a while. Besides, I got half of what I needed. I hope she'll shift back so I can get the rest."

Beth looks at him questioningly wondering what he has in mind.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Katrina and Sergey wander into the Josef's study looking for Josef or Mick. They find Mick sitting at Josef's desk, working on some notes. He looks up when they come through the door. "You're awake"

Katrina looks a little embarrassed. "Sorry. It's been so hard. It's starting to catch up with both of us."

"Don't worry about it. It's fine."

Katrina looks around the room. Where is Josef and Beth?"

"Josef took Beth down to her cottage so she could check on things. She had to stop going down there by herself until this is over. Likewise, she can't go to the stables by herself. Nicky left a calling card down there for her. He hates her for some reason. He's always threatening to kill her. It's not good."

"Mick, I wish I there was a way to help him, he's family."

"Katrina you have to know it's gone far beyond that. There is only way this can end. You have to know that."

Katrina reluctantly nods and takes a deep breath dreading the question. "What else do you need me to do?"

"Two things, both very easy. First I need you to stand over there and hold up this newspaper and smile."

Katrina does as he asks. Mick picks up his camera and takes several pictures of her. He sets the camera down and hands her and Sergey two boarding passes for a flight to Russia, leaving in five hours. "Next I need you to leave the country. Go home, go see your pack."

Katrina and Sergey look at each other. Sergey smiles gently at her "This is a good idea. We haven't been home in a long while. I think it's time to leave."

Katrina shakes her head. "NO. I can't leave. I need to stay. I need to see him again, before… maybe I can do something to help."

Mick looks at her sadly. "Help who? Josef and I or Nicky? Katrina, I know this is eating you up, but you need to remember that boy the last time you saw him and leave it at that. Never mind the killing of all our people. He can't be left out there in the world to be discovered by the authorities. I'm surprised it hasn't happened already. Eventually he will be found out and then what? He could expose us all. He needs to be dealt with for so many reasons. I think it's better if Sergey takes you home to Russia and you're as far away from this as possible."

Katrina desperately wants to ask Mick what he is going to do. She can tell by his face he would tell her things she doesn't want to hear. She nods. "Will you, will you tell Josef I said good-bye?"

Mick nods. "I will."

The two, pack up their belongings. Sergey gives Mick, Josef's gun. "Tell Josef I hope to see him again under better circumstances."

Mick nods and walks them out to their rental car. Josef and Beth approach the front door as they are driving away. Josef can see Katrina turned in the seat looking back at them as Sergey drives into the distance.

Beth turns to Mick and Josef. "Now can I have my gun back?"

"Yes."

Josef hands her back her gun. She visibly relaxes.

Mick holds out Josef's gun and he puts it back in his holster.

Beth smiles at them. "Thanks. It's not that I don't love you both, but I really need to spend some time alone. I'm going upstairs and soak in the tub. I'm going to turn on the jets, grab a book and relax as best I can." She holds up her hand before either of them can speak. "No, you can't go, no I don't need help reaching my back and yes, I will put the gun right where I can get it if I need to in a hurry."

Josef looks at Mick with a smirk on his face. "She knows us so well."

Mick smiles back "And loves us anyway."

"Yes, both of you." She kisses them and disappears into the house for a nice long soak in the tub.

Josef and Mick move their way back into the house and settle in the den. "Josef looks around at all the files and work Mick has on the desk. "After this is over, we need to get you a file cabinet. Whatever else you would like, maybe a different computer setup. Make this your office away from the office."

"Josef, it's fine. I don't need anything more."

Josef shakes his head. "No, Beth and I both have places to go and do whatever. You need a place as well. We'll put in a nice sound system. Mick, it's a big house. No one is going to miss one room."

Mick sighs. Arguing with Josef about stuff like this is pointless. "If I don't' agree you're going to enlist Beth to help you convince me, aren't you?"

Josef smirks at him. "Of course."

Mick holds up his hand. "Alright. I give up." He smiles. "But I get to pick out the sound system."

Josef laughs. "Fine with me. "He leans back on the couch. "Now that you've sent Katrina and Sergey back to Russia, what's next?"

Xxxxxxxxx

Mick enters his office and picks up the lamp on the desk. Next, he enters his apartment and swaps the lamp with the one that is bugged. He's sure that Nicky was the one that bugged his office. He sits at his desk and goes through some of the backlog of paperwork he's accumulated. He makes sure he moves round the office making noise as he files things away. Mick wants Nicky to know he's in the office. He makes a couple of prearranged phone calls about bills and information he is seeking. Mick looks down at his watch and sees that it's almost midnight.

Mick's phone begins to ring. "Josef?"

"Just called to see if you were making any progress on tracking Nicky."

"Are you at the office?" Mick asks.

"Yes, and Beth is with me. I don't like the idea of her being at the house alone."

Mick laughs. "I bet that thrilled her. You better come over. I got several email responses back from Russia on Nicky. It's quite interesting."

"We're on our way. See you in a bit."

Soon he hears the door open and he looks up at Josef and Beth

"So, what did you get that's so interesting?"

Mick walks over to pour himself and Josef a drink he motions to Beth who shakes her head.

"Read for yourself."

The three of them sit watching each other in the silence of Josef and Beth's supposed reading.

Josef rolls his eyes and decides its time. "You were right. Very interesting."

"Now we know who he is. I wonder if he does, being raised in an orphanage and all, especially all those years ago. I was surprised they still had the records."

Josef snorts. "You know the church. They never forget anything."

Mick laughs. "Yea, I remember from when I was a kid. Josef, that's not even the best part. The best part is I found his mother. She's a werewolf. I found her. Can you believe it? I wonder what she's going to think when I tell her about Nicky."

Josef looks at Mick. "Let me see that picture." They pause for a moment, for effect. "I know this woman. I was in Russia living with the pack outside of St. Petersburg at that time."

Mick quickly scribbles a note to Josef asking if he's sure he wants to go through with this next part. Josef narrows his eyes nods. A grim look on his face that Mick doesn't see very often.

"Josef, how well did you know her?"

"Ah, well, pretty damn well. She had a birthmark on her thigh, her right one." Josef remembered that both Anya and Katrina had the birthmark. Thinking back, he'd remembered that the baby he delivered had one also.

Nicky stares at the speaker in open mouthed shock. His mother is alive, He's not who he thinks he is? He must see his mother. Kostan knows his mother? He needs to know why she left him. He's sure she loved him. There needs to be some tragic story. Unless it's a trick. That's it. He's sure it's a trick by St. John. He knows, has always known, that his mother is dead. If he concentrates hard enough, he thinks he can even remember the moment she died.

Mick looks down at his ringing phone and flips it open. He puts it on speaker so Josef and Beth can hear. "Nicky?"

"St. John, I know you're trying to trick me. I know my mother is dead."

"Nicky, did you bug my office?"

"You know I did."

"Let's see who knows what. I know you were taken to an orphanage in St. Petersburg and raised by nuns. I know that when the young woman brought you to the orphanage, she left you in a blanket along with a picture of herself. I know you have a birthmark on your right thigh that matches the one your mom has. So far so good?"

"Y… es. "Nicky manages to get out.

"I have a picture of your mother holding up a newspaper from two days ago. It even has a subscription label on it with Josef's name on it. I also have a few pictures of her in wolf form. She's a werewolf."

Suddenly what Josef said hits Nicky right between the eyes. "Kostan you don't know my mom. You're a liar. You weren't in Russia. I don't believe you."

Josef smiles and speaks to Nicky in Russian. He speaks the exact dialect and correct inflections for that time period. He says some very explicit, lewd things about Nicky's mother.

Nicky stares at the phone when he hears his native language spoken correctly. "You bastard."

Josef laughs and makes sure that Nicky can hear it. "She's a babe Nicky. As I recall, good in the sack. That must be why she gave you up. To busy screwing around to take care of some pathetic little weasel like you."

Beth winces. She knows Nicky deserves everything he gets but this seems so cruel.

Mick would think Nicky hung up, but they can all still hear his rapid breathing. He's really on the edge.

"Nicky, you've been a bad boy. I haven't told your mother what you've done, yet."

"I don't believe you."

"Nicky did the nuns give you the picture your mom left for you? Was it still a good enough condition you could see her face clearly?"

"Yes, I still have it. I've taken very good care of it."

"Good. Would you like to see a current picture of her? I can arrange that if you would like. I'm sure she looks very much like the picture you have. Maybe a tiny bit older since werewolves do age, if very slowly and it has been a hundred years."

Very softly, so softly that none of them would have been able to hear if not for their superior hearing, they hear. "yes."

"Call me back in two days. And Nicky, I better not find out about anymore killing or you won't even see the picture." Mick flips the phone closed.

Nicky stares down at the dead phone line. He rocks back and forth, repeating over and over 'two days...two days… no killing… no killing…"

Mick turns to Beth and Josef. "Hey, I'm ready to get out of here. Let's go home. It's been a long day."

Josef smiles. "Sure, we'll meet you there."

Xxxxxxxxxx

Mick walks into the den and finds Josef sitting on the couch with his feet up. He smiles up at Mick. "You're going to let him sweat for two days?"

"I'm going to let him sweat for three days, maybe four."

Josef smiles even broader. "You said two."

"I said two, but you know, I think sweating a serial killer has merit. It's going to be interesting. Any agony I can think of to put him through will never be enough to equal the terrible things he's done." Mick sits at his desk and leans back smiling at Josef. "Besides by the time we get done I want that son of a bitch so close to the edge that taking him will be easy as pie. We have only one real problem. That is making damn sure that he never gets within a spitting distance of Beth. Mark my words, that is going to be who he's going to zero in on."

Josef cocks his head. "We should continue to try and get him to focus on me. I'll keep goading him about my supposed relationship with his mother. That ought to freak him out plenty. I suspect that none of his personalities are going to want to mess with me on a one to one. Especially the way he talks about Beth and after what he did to the Ferrari. I have a certain reputation that you, my moral friend lack. It's well known how old I am. Aiming him at me would frustrate him more."

"Yes, but it might make him that much more desperate to get to Beth. He knows that she's a weak spot for both of us. I like the idea but as I said, we have to make damn sure he can't get to Beth."

Beth enters the room looking from one to the other. "And how may I ask are you going to do that? Much as I love you both, being under your watchful eyes twenty-four hours a day gets old in a hurry."

Mick sighs. "I know but even with the gun, if we do a full court press on him, he is going to get reckless and very dangerous."

Beth holds up her hand. "I know and as usual I've finally run out of the energy to argue with you two on things like this. It takes too much effort. Besides at some point you'll catch him and take care of the problem. It can't take that long, can it?"

Mick stands up and crosses the room to her. "A couple weeks at the most."

Beth puts her forehead against his chest and sighs. "Alright but can we at least leave our routines normal for the most part? You do what you need to do, and I do it with you. Josef goes to work, and I go with him. One of you one day and the other the next." Beth backs up and looks at them both warily. "Alright?"

Mick holds up his hand. "Unless what I have to do is something that is too dangerous for you to go with me to do. Can you live with that?"

"Under one condition. You two have to remember I'm doing this under duress and forgive me if I'm not Mary Sunshine all the time."

Josef smirks at her. "You want permission to be a bitch now and then?"

Beth laughs. "Yea, that's about it."

Mick smiles at her "Done. That was my only worry. You stay with either me or Josef every minute from now on."

Josef smirks at Mick. "That must mean it's my turn to chase away the demons."

Mick laughs. "Yea, I guess it is."

Beth narrows her eyes at the two of them. "Ok, fess up. You said you would tell me what that was about." Josef stands up and pulls her into his arms. "If you'll follow me my dear, I'll tell you the odd conversation we had."

**xxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Comments are always welcome. **


	19. Chapter 19

**Moonlight doesn't belong to me. It's just a place I go to play**.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Toby gets on the bus to Las Vegas. He knows he needs to get out of town. He finally remembered the man with the gun. He's Josef Kostan. Toby talked to him when he called Beth. Whatever made Kostan point a gun at him must have something to do with a woman. Toby never even got a chance to meet and doesn't think he ever wants to meet. Kostan is a very powerful vampire with a very bad reputation. Not someone he wants to mess with. He needs to get out of town before he has another blackout.

xxxxxxxxxxx

Mick looks down at his cell wondering why Nicky hasn't called yet. It hasn't yet been two days, but he was sure that Nicky would be bugging him on some level to move the time up. Mick hopes that his theory that Nicky's mother would mean enough to bring him out in the open is right. Mick looks down at his watch. Another five hours and it will be two days to the hour since he last told Nicky two days. Mick worries that Nicky is going straight to try and get to Beth so that he can trade her for his mother.

Toby walks the streets of Las Vegas trying to find a job. He can do a lot of different things. He doesn't know how he can do some of them, but he can. It's been almost two days and no blackouts. He's relieved that things seem to be settling down for the moment. He managed to have enough money left so he could get a low rent room with a door that locks. That is good.

Five hours later to the minute Toby has another blackout. Nicky is back and he is pissed. He had to let Toby be in charge so he wouldn't go crazy waiting for the two days to go by and kill someone. He has no doubt that if he did and St. John found out he would never let him find out anything about his mother. He needs to know about his mother. Two days have finally passed. Nicky lets Toby do what Toby does because he can't risk coming out and that shit head Toby takes them to Las Vegas. Nicky goes to the bank. He pulls out enough money to rent a car and get back to Los Angeles. Nicky keeps just enough money in front of Toby and Edward, so they survive fine when he needs to go away. He keeps a large stash in a Russian bank that neither of them knows about. Managing these two idiots has been easy. Nicky flips open his phone and calls St. John.

Mick looks down relieved when he sees Nicky's number flash up, but he doesn't bother to pick up. Now they can start playing cat and mouse. In the last two days Mick had caller ID installed on his phone in the office and every other phone any of them answer. He's never really had a need for it until now. None of them is going to pick up unless they see someone they know well. Letting Nicky sweat it out until Mick decides to answer is the plan.

Nicky snaps his phone shut in frustration. St. John told him two days so why isn't he answering his damn phone? He thinks again it might be a trick, but Mick knew to many things that he shouldn't have been able to find out. Nicky can't take the chance that it's a trick. He needs to know about his mother, weather she really is alive or not. He rents a car and points it towards L.A. He will start calling St. John again when he gets back. He thinks he better have a plan in case St. John has changed his mind. He knows there is only one thing that St. John will do anything for and that is Beth. He thinks he better come up a way to get his hands on her so he can make Mick tell him everything he wants to know.

As soon as Nicky gets back to L.A., he starts calling Mick but to no avail. Mick still isn't answering. Nicky doesn't know what to do. He starts to panic. He can't let Toby have control because Toby won't call, and Toby will take them back to Vegas. He has no idea what Edward would do. Probably walk up and greet Kostan like a long-lost friend. Nicky can't stay without killing. He knows with this kind of pressure he's got to have a release. The only way to do that is kill but if he does that and Mick finds out he won't find out anything about his mother. He begins to rock again. He concentrates on Kostan and what he said about his mother. Maybe if he thinks about what he would like to do to Kostan it will help keep him occupied.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sergey gets up intending to find something to eat. He wonders if Katrina would like something. They've been back with the pack for a couple of days. Katrina doesn't do anything but sleep and eat and then only if he makes her. She's like a sleepwalker. He's scared she's becoming suicidal. He thinks back to when she started this crusade to watch over all the Romanovs. He realizes it started about the time that Anya died. No wonder she's so busy keeping everyone else alive. She's trying to make up for the loss of Anya and the guilt she feels towards Josef. Sergey taps on her bedroom door and when there is no answer, he decides to let her sleep a little longer. He knows how hard this is all been for her, but he makes up his mind to get her to start talking in the evening. She needs to let this out and let it go or it will eat her up. He decides to go see the doctor. One of the elders about her state of mind and see if they have any additional suggestions. He's becoming afraid for her.

Katrina peaks out her bedroom door. She moves through the house and finds Sergey is gone. She starts packing a few things in her backpack. Lastly, she grabs her passport and the sketch that Mick faxed her of Nicky. She doesn't know what she's going to do but she can't let this go. Now that she's made up her mind she moves with purpose. This may be the wrong thing to do but at least she's doing something. She can't sit here and know that Mick and Josef are going to hunt Nicky down and kill him.

**xxxxxxxxxxx**

By the third day Mick's phone is ringing almost nonstop. Then it stops and Beth's starts. Both have voice mail filled with obscenities that became more and more desperate as the day wears on. By the fourth day Mick thinks Nicky sounds sufficiently desperate.

Mick looks down at the ringing phone and nods at his companions. "Show time."

Mick answers with the phone on speaker for all three of them to hear "Nicky?"

"St. John, you bastard, you said two days. It's been four days. I want to see the picture of my mother. You said you had a picture and I want to see it."

They listen to the continued rambling as Nicky winds himself down. Then silence. "St. John are you there?"

"Yea, I'm here. Nicky do you have a pen and a piece of paper?"

With shaking hands Nicky finds what he needs. "Yes."

"Write this down." Mick proceeds to tell Nicky the web address Ryder set up for this purpose. "You better hurry before it disappears." Mick disconnects the line.

Beth glances at Mick and Josef. "How long before he calls back?"

Mick shakes his head. "Depends on if it sends him into a complete melt down or not. If not, we should hear from him pretty quick."

Xxxxxx

Nicky, stares at the woman's picture on the lap top screen. He's stunned. This is the first picture he's seen of her in color. He sees dark hair like his own, hazel eyes. He stares intently at the picture. He can't get enough of her eyes and he realizes something else. He brings up a picture he has on his computer from when he was researching Mick. He matches the eyes and realizes that all three of them have eyes that look remarkably alike. He brings up pictures of every one of his victims from the time he could take their pictures. He sorts through the ones that he remembers being drawn to like he's drawn to Mick. He realizes they all have the same eyes. Family… Mick St. John is his family. Along the way he's killed family, his family. Mick probably does know his mother and he probably does know who he really is.

He hits the redial and calls Mick.

"Nicky?" Mick answers

"Yes, cousin Mick, or is it uncle or brother or father."

"Ah so you see the family resemblance. Yes, one of those. You can guess which one."

"I want to see my mother. I want to see her now."

Josef breaks in. "I doubt she's interested in seeing you. She might see me again though. That's not a bad idea. I bet she still moans my name in her sleep."

"You shut your dirty mouth Kostan."

"Nicky, Nicky, Nicky, I wouldn't be so mean to me. I may be able to tell you who your father is. We could have a lineup of about 20 or 30 guys and have a DNA test done. Then the lucky guy gets to try and remember screwing the town tramp." Josef says a silent apology to Anya.

"SHUT UP! YOU SHUT UP!"

Josef laughs.

Mick shakes his head. He looks at Beth who is curled up in the corner of the couch. He can feel the worry and fear coming from her. She doesn't understand why they are tormenting Nicky and making him crazier. He glances at Josef. He sees the grim set of his face and isn't so sure she's not a little frightened of what this is bringing out in Josef. Unlike Mick, she's never seen this side of Josef.

Josef sees where Mick's eyes are and glances at Beth and sees the same thing. He moves to her and picks her up off the couch and wipes the tears from her eyes.

"St. John, I want to see my mother. You tell me where she is. You tell me her name right now."

"I'll tell you what. I'll think about it." Mick disconnects the line and looks over at Josef and Beth on the couch. He's murmuring to her and holding her. Mick gets up and goes into the apartment. He wants to give Josef a little time to explain to Beth about why it needs to be this way.

Beth looks at Josef and sees 'her' Josef once again. The awful look in his eyes when he was talking to Nicky is gone. "Beth, I'm sorry to frighten you. You know you don't have to be afraid of me, ever."

"It's not that I'm afraid of you, it's that I'm afraid for you. Josef, I know he deserves everything you and Mick can use against him. It almost seems like you, like twisting the knife. I know you have a dark side, and I almost think you couldn't have survived this long if you didn't. I just hate to see you bring it out. You're better than that."

"Only because you and Mick make me better. Beth, you know the three women that you and Mick went to check on at the college?"

Beth nods.

"All three of them were friends of mine before I met you."

She smiles at him wearily. "Meaning you dated them."

"Yes, and Mandy who you briefly saw at Jake's. They were a quartet of good friends and she's the last one left. He killed all three of them. You're right. I never allow that darkness in me to come out when you are close. To do what must be done, I think about those women and what he did to them. I use it to fuel that darkness so I can twist the knife. Mick and I think he's going to really try and get to you when Mick refuses to let him see his mother. If I goad him, if I keep hitting him between the eyes, maybe he will get mad enough to come after me instead. We need him off balance and angry so he will make a mistake and one of us can get close enough to kill him. Can you understand that and bear with me a little while? I know it bothers you to see me like that, but it won't happen often, and I promise as soon as we get him it will be gone again."

Beth wraps her arms around his neck and holds him tight. "You and Mick have to do whatever you think is best."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sergey knocks on the door to Katrina's room again. It's time to try and get some food down her again. He has been talking to one of the elders in the pack to try and find a way to get her to come out of her depression. They have a few ideas put together and he wants to see how she reacts. When there is no answer, he opens the door slowly. He scans the room, not finding her anywhere. He moves to the adjacent bathroom door and knocks. It's silent. He opens the door to confirm his suspicion. He searches their village looking for her. It doesn't take him long to find that no one has seen her. He has an idea. He returns to her room looking for her travel papers. Everything is gone, including her sketch of Nicky. He thinks back to when he lasts saw her. He flips out his phone.

Mick looks down at his phone, still hooked up to the speaker and sees Sergey's number. "Sergey?"

"Yes, Mick. I've got some bad news. Katrina is gone. She's on her way back to America, L.A. to be specific."

Josef slams the desk with his hand.

Mick glances at Josef and Beth still sitting across the desk from him. "Sergey this is not a good time. If she gets in the middle of this, she could get someone, including herself, killed. When was the last time you saw her?"

"I know that's why I'm giving you the heads up. No one has seen her in the last twelve hours. Her passport is gone, and she also has the sketch you gave her of Nicky with her. I'm guessing she's going to try and find him."

Mick swears into the phone. "Well, at least she doesn't have any leads other than he's in L.A. somewhere. This is a big city."

"Yes, but you've inadvertently given her some clues, and she has something you don't. She has Anya's face. I'm guessing that's the bait you intend to use to get him to come out. That was why you took the picture of her. She's not stupid, if I figured it out, so has she. If you can use her face so can she."

"Sergey if you had to guess, how do you think she would come into the country? Would she fly directly into Chicago from Moscow and then into L.A. like you two went out?"

"Normally if she wanted to get into the States undetected, she would go into Alaska as just another wolf. That takes a lot of time because so much of it is done on foot. Considering her urgency, my guess is she is either going to do as you suggest. Or she will fly into Canada and then into the United States. The more I think about it the more that makes sense. She's going to know I would call you if for no other reason than to see if you can protect her from her own stupidity. She's going to be looking for him and trying to keep you from tracking her. If she flies into Vancouver or Winnipeg or Montreal she can walk across, either as a wolf or human. She has her passport papers with her, and she's also has a couple of aliases' that are available to her. Mick you better keep everybody looking for her in L.A. and never mind about the rest of the country. Katrina knows America almost as well she knows Russia. You won't catch her at any of the boarders."

"Email me the names and addresses on her aliases and anything you can think of that will help her hide. How much money she has access to, anything you can think of."

"Right away."

"Thanks. I'll call you if we find her. Please call me if you hear from her."

"You'll be the first one I call. Mick, I know it's a lot to ask but please try and keep her from getting killed. I know she doesn't deserve your protection but she's not doing this out of malice."

"I'll do what I can but she's doing something that is equal parts stupid and dangerous. I've got to go." Mick disconnects the call and Josef starts a tirade that goes on for five minutes. When he finally runs out of steam, he looks at Beth and doesn't like the look in her eyes. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking you two better hope I don't see her first. I've had it with her. She's going to get somebody killed and I'll be damned if it's going to be either of you."

"Beth." Beth holds up her hand before Josef can continue. "Don't bother. I'm not listening. Just hope I don't have the opportunity to shoot her because this time I will, and you won't stop me."

Josef leans back in his chair. "Fucking great. An hour ago, you were concerned because I was torturing a serial killer and now, you're going to shoot Katrina? What the hell? Listen to me. You will not shoot her unless she is an immediate danger to yourself or either of us. Do you hear me?"

Beth shakes her head. "Stick it. I know you two. You're not likely to let Nicky get the better of you unless it's to save someone else. You've got me covered then the only other person that could get either of you into trouble over your head is Katrina." She points at Josef. "One of you has already been down that road with her. I'll be damned if I'm going to stand by and let her do it again."

Josef stands up and pulls her out of the chair. They are standing almost nose-to-nose. "Listen to me. I'm not telling you this to protect her. I'm telling you this to protect you. I know you. You're angry and you're scared. I get that. If you kill her for no other reason than you're afraid of what might happen, you will regret it for a long time. I do not want you carrying around that kind of pain. I don't want it eating at you. You've never killed anyone other than in self-defense and I'd like to keep it that way. So please use some restraint."

Beth scowls at him and gives him a curt nod.

Mick lets out the breath he didn't know he was holding. He agrees completely with Josef on this.

Josef looks at Mick. "We need to hit all our contacts with both their pictures. If she gets to him first, he could react very badly. We still don't know exactly what his emotional attitude is towards his mother and why he is so desperate to find her. If he thinks Katrina is Anya, he may kill her for a variety of reasons. If on the other hand he just wants to be mommy's little boy, I have no doubt that Katrina could keep him hidden for a long time. Depending how far off the rails she's gone, she may not even notice if he continues to kill. I'll call Ryder, he can get the word out on the net that I'm offering a reward for information on either of them."

Mick nods. "Ryder has my passwords for my office computer. Tell him to pull the pictures off it. They are under the name Romanov"

Mick disconnects his phone from the speaker and turns to Josef. "Let's do it. I'll start with Frank."

Mick punches up another number. "Frank?"

"Yea, Mick, what's up?" Frank can hear the urgency in Mick's voice.

"If I email you a picture can you find out from any of your contacts in Canada if she's flown in there in the last few hours? I'll send you her aliases as well."

"Depends on where she's coming from"

"Russia."

"International flights are the easiest because of the governments paperwork. Email me the picture. I take it this is urgent."

"Very. It's Katrina Romanov. She's going to try and save her nephew who it turns out is a serial killer. It's a long story. We need to find her or at least know how close she is to L.A."

"I'll call you back as soon as I can." Frank hangs up

Mick hits the send button and hopes like hell she's still in Canada.

Josef punches up Ryder's number. He explains what they need. "Mick says you have the passwords to his office computer and for you to pull from a file labeled Romanov."

While Josef is talking to him, Ryder goes into Mick's computer at the office. He finds the picture of Katrina. He also finds the sketch of Nicky Mick had scanned in and pulls it as well. "Done."

"Ryder, email copies to Jenny."

Next Josef calls Jenny personal number. "Hi. I want to thank you for putting up the girls for me. It's dangerous at the house right now."

Jenny smiles into the phone. "Josef, you know I always love the idea of you owing me one. Besides they are nice, and I wouldn't want anything to happen to them. Is there something else you needed?"

"There is. I'm having Ryder email you a couple of pictures; I want you to show it to all your girls and bar tenders. If either of them shows up I need a call a soon as possible."

"Sure, Josef."

"And Jenny, for god sakes don't let anyone approach either one of them. The woman is acting erratic and the man is a psychopath. Call me or Mick."

"Now you're scaring me. Is there any reason to think they will come here?"

"None at all. I'm covering all my bases." Josef hangs up.

Next Mick dials Victoria. "Hey, I'm still working on that same case and I need a favor."

"Is this the one that is still keeping you from buying me a drink?"

Mick smiles at her persistence, and glances at a scowling Beth "Yes."

"Tell me what you need."

"I want to email you two pictures. I need you to keep your eyes open and ask any of your street contacts if they've seen either of them. Josef is offering a reward for any information on either of them. Victoria, I know that you can take care of yourself but be very careful of the man particularly. He's not what he seems. He's been killing vamps and werewolves for a long time and at times he appears to be human."

Victoria is confused. "What do you mean appears to be human? He's either human or he's not."

Mick doesn't want to go into this with her. "He has a way of masking what he is. Treat him as though he's a rouge and you should do fine. Don't rely on your senses to decide what he is. Just know he's dangerous and if you get a chance kill him. Tell any of your contacts that might see him to stay the hell away from him. Just call and tell you his location so you can call Josef or me. I don't want anyone else getting killed."

"This is the serial killer you told me about before?"

"Yes. The woman is his aunt. I'm afraid she's going to try and protect him. She's not a bad person but she's not thinking straight. If her intent is to protect him, I don't know how far she'll be willing to go to that end. His mother was her twin and has been dead a long time."

"Josef's reward should help. I'll let you know if I hear anything."

"Thanks Victoria. I appreciate it. Please tell everyone to be careful."

And so, it went. Josef and Mick call every contact they have in the city and everyone is on the lookout for Katrina and Nicky.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Comments are always welcome. **

a


	20. Chapter 20

**Moonlight doesn't belong to me. It's just a place I go to play.**

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Katrina steps off the plane. She's landed in Vancouver British Columbia. She knows she can cross into Washington. From there she can fly from Bellingham to Riverside and sneak back into Los Angeles. She's sure that they are all on the lookout for her. If she stays low and out of the way of the local vamp and werewolf communities, she should be okay. She slips behind the hangers and shifts to wolf from and heads for the United States border.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Mick picks up the phone when he recognizes the number as Frank's. "Frank."

"She landed in Vancouver a couple hours ago. She probably crossed into Washington, as a wolf so there will be no trace of her. If she's going to fly down though she's going to have to show identification to get a ticket, even on a small plane. From the schedules of the airports in the immediate vicinity, she's another four or five hours out. Depending on how close she flies into the L.A. area. "

"Thanks Frank. We've circulated her picture, but you know how easy it is to stay hidden in a city this size. At least we have a frame of reference for when she may appear." Mick hangs up and looks across at Beth. "Well, best estimate is Katrina hits L.A. from four or five hours from now. All we can do now is wait for someone to spot one of them or have one of them make contact again."

Beth doesn't answer she stares back at him.

"Beth? What are you thinking?"

Beth sighs. "Nothing. I'm thinking back to the first night Katrina showed up. Josef said he was trying to decide whether to kill her or not because she always brings trouble. He was right about that."

Mick gets up and walks around the desk. "Beth it will be all right." He watches the grim look on her face.

"I wish I believed you. I've got a bad feeling about this whole thing. Mick, I can't lose either of you."

"You won't. It's the nightmares." He pulls her up out of the chair and tries to reassure her. "Come on, it's time to go on home. Until something breaks, there isn't much we can do."

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Katrina lands in Riverside and rents a car. Since it's the middle of the night she thinks she can make Los Angeles in about two hours. She throws her bag in the back and takes off.

It doesn't take Nicky long to find out that there was a reward offered for him. To warn their people, they had to be too obvious about it. All they did was give him a heads up. He spends two days trying to figure out a way to get to Kostan. He wants to get even with him for what he said about his mom and figure out a way to force them to tell him the truth. All the research he did in the beginning leads him to believe there is only one good way to get even with Kostan. He needs to kill Beth. He needs a few things. He knows that more than likely Josef and Mick aren't letting Beth out of their sight. He needs to know which one of them she's with. He also needs his own bait. One thing at a time, he drives to Josef's office building. He hopes he can catch him before he goes into the building or at least spot him driving into the garage. Sure, enough to his delight Josef has the top down on a blue Porsche and Nicky can see he's alone. He smiles at the memory of running the key down the side of the Ferrari. Serves him right. Once he has what he needs from Mick, he will use Beth to make Kostan pay for what he said about his mother.

Two days pass as Katrina does everything she can to stay under the radar and still find Nicky. She finally realizes she can't do both. In order to use her face to find Nicky she needs to be out in the open. If she's out in the open Mick or Josef will find her and they will lock her up some place until they are done. She decides to let Mick find Nicky for her. Maybe she can find a way to get to Nicky before Mick does. At least she could be there when he finds Nicky to see if she can stop him from killing him. Katrina camps out across from Mick's office out of sight. She hopes to spot him when he comes in so she can be in position to tail him when he leaves.

Nicky asks around some of the seedier bars in town and finds what he's looking for, a woman who has a grudge against St. John. He watches the woman for a bit and sees that she's drinking whiskey. He motions for the bartender to buy her one. The bartender takes the drink to her and points Nicky out. She salutes him with the drink and walks over to where he's sitting. She sits down across from him. "Thanks. Now tell me the catch."

Nicky smiles. "You're my kind of person, straight to the point. Ok, I'll tell you. I hear you have a problem with Mick St. John and might not be to unhappy to see him get jammed up."

The woman nods. "You got that right. Son of a bitch got my Sammy sent off to jail for two years. Now I'm back peddling my ass on the street to make ends meet. I had a pretty good thing going until he stuck his nose into it. Sammy wasn't even doing anything bad. Selling a little meth is all. Nobody makes them come to him and buy." She looks at Nicky speculatively "Is it dangerous? I'm not doing anything dangerous."

"Nope. All you need to do is go with me to a pay phone over by the park and call St. John. Tell him you saw the man he's looking for in the clearing over by the zoo and take off. I'll do the rest."

"That it?"

"Yep that's it and believe me he'll get jammed up but good. I'll even give you a ride over. You'll need to take the bus back. You in?"

"Yea, I'm in. Anything to stick it to that nosy P.I."

Josef paces his office. He agreed to do what Beth asked and stick to a routine, but this is ridiculous and it's driving him crazy. He's not good at doing nothing and as much as he trusts Mick, Josef has the feeling that he needs to be with Beth. He can't shake the feeling that one of them protecting her may just not be enough. He decides to chuck it and go over to Mick's office. He'll think up an excuse on the way.

Mick is at his desk in his office doing paperwork. Beth has finally decided to stop sulking and help so she's doing some filing and helping however she can. The waiting has not been good for any of them. Beth spent yesterday at work with Josef and kept rearranging the furniture in his office. Josef told Mick he suspected she was trying to make everyone as crazy as she is. There is nothing worse than one jumpy vamp let alone three of them.

Mick grabs the ringing phone hoping it's a lead. "Hello?"

"Mr. St. John?" Mick hears the voice of a woman.

"Yes, this is St. John. What can I do for you?"

"I heard about the guy you're looking for. I saw him. He was in Griffith Park, east of the zoo, in the clearing."

"Thanks. I'll check it out. If you tell me your name and it pans out, I can get Josef's reward to you."

"That's okay. I just wanted to help out." Mick looks down at the dead phoneline. He has an itch between his shoulder blades but he's so excited to have a break in the case, so he ignores it. He looks up at Beth. "That was a tip. I'm going to go check something out. I'll drop you at Josef's office."

Beth scowls at him. "Like hell you will. I'm going with you."

"No, you're not. I'll drop you off and you can stay with Josef."

"Mick, how long do you want to stand here and argue with me?"

"Point taken. All right but it's got to be like the time we went in to Coraline's. You absolutely do whatever I say, and you run like hell if I tell you to. Promise?"

Beth reluctantly nods her head.

Mick senses her reluctance. "Beth? I swear if you don't give me your word, I won't take you."

She nods but again not daring to verbalize her fear. Beth knows that Coraline would never have killed Mick. She would have killed Beth in a heartbeat but not Mick. Running away to get help from Josef under those circumstances was one thing. Running under these is another. Nicky would hurt Mick. Hell, Nicky would kill Mick and Beth can't promise to leave Mick if he tells her too. She is too afraid to have him go by himself and he won't let her stay by herself anyway. "I'll do what I have to do. On the way we call Josef and he meets us there for backup."

Mick realizes it's as good as he is likely to get and Josef as backup is a damn good idea. "Let's go. I'll drive, you call Josef."

Beth nods and smiles. They leave the office and Beth is calling Josef even as they get into the elevator.

Josef looks down at his phone and sighs. Damn, I swear she has me on radar. "Beth?"

"Josef, I don't have time to explain. Mick and I are headed for Griffith Park. We're leaving his office now. Nicky was spotted there in the clearing east of the zoo. Can you be there, in case? Mick is a little jumpy about me being with him and I'm not staying with you while he goes alone."

"I'm glad you called. I'm on my way." Josef disconnects the call and screeches the Porsche around the next corner. He smiles. He'll be there way before they will.

Katrina sees Mick and Beth pull out of the garage. She starts the car and pulls out behind them, trying to stay far enough back so Mick doesn't see her. She almost wishes it were daytime. The traffic is so sparse this time of night it's hard to not be seen. One thing about that Benz it's easy to spot.

Mick looks across the car at Beth. "We have company. Someone is following us."

Beth resists the urge to look back. "Nicky?"

"No, my guess is Katrina."

"Shit. Now we've got two of them to worry about. I'm calling Josef."

Nicky looks down the scope at the clearing. Now if St. John or Beth will walk out into the open, he will put a bullet or two in them. Not enough to kill of course. He needs to incapacitate them until he can get down there. Then he can make one of them do what he wants while he holds the other hostage. He had to pick his spot very carefully. He had to be outside their sensory range but close enough to be able to get to whoever he managed to put a bullet in. It was times like this he wished he could tap into Toby or Edward's abilities.

Josef pulls into the parking lot and looks up at the full moon. Just great. Give Nicky all the help he can get. Josef flips his phone and answers it.

He hears Beth's rushed voice. "Josef, we're being followed. Mick is pretty sure it's Katrina."

"It just keeps getting better and better. Look, I'm already here. I'm going to go check it out. Follow me in when you get here."

Beth feels fear gripping her. "Josef, no. You wait for us."

"Beth, if Katrina is behind you it's just going to muddy the waters even more. I'll be fine. When was the last time you saw a human, even a psycho human, get the better of me?"

"Josef!" Beth looks down at the disconnected line. "Damn. He's already there and he's going in alone. I'm going to kick his ass when I see him."

Beth looks across at Mick's grim face. "I'll help you." Mick pushes on the accelerator to the floor and the Benz lurches forward.

Katrina watches the Benz. She thinks at first Mick spotted her and is trying to lose her but he's not doing anything evasive. He's just driving faster. Something is wrong, and if Beth and Mick are together that can only mean whatever it is, it has to do with Josef. Katrina pushes the rental to keep Mick in sight.

Josef takes off his jacket and tie and tosses them back in the car. At least he's wearing a dark shirt and pants. Damn they aren't going to be worth much after a trek through the park. He pulls both his guns and checks the clips and checks to make sure the safeties are off. He peers into the wooded area. He's glad it's thick enough that the brightness of the moon can't penetrate the canopy of the trees. Slowly with gun in hand he moves into the woods reaching out everywhere with his senses.

Nicky looks through the scope sweeping the clearing looking for any movement.

Mick and Beth pull up next to Josef's Porsche. Both fly out not bothering to see where Katrina is.

Katrina parks the rental and shifts to her wolf. She has a much better chance of finding everyone in the dark as a wolf. Her sense of smell, her ability to hear even how fast she can move through these woods are all as good as a vamp or better.

Nicky sees movement at the tree line and watches closely to see who it is. When he recognizes the face, he smiles. _Paybacks are a bitch Kostan_.

Josef picks his way silently through the trees. He's starting to think someone has given Mick bad information. He senses nothing in the area that he doesn't recognize. No wolves, vamps or humans. He lowers his gun and slowly moves out of the trees.

Mick and Beth are picking their way through the woods. They move slowly since they don't know where Nicky is. They sense Josef has been through ahead of them and Katrina is close by but nothing else. Mick turns to Beth. "Talk to him, see if you can reach him."

Beth starts to do as he says, and they hear two loud cracks. Beth looks at Mick who is already moving.

"What was that?"

"Rifle shots, a sniper."

Beth runs behind Mick. _Josef?_

Silence. Beth's head starts to spin as she feels like she's in one of her nightmares. Josef's hurt and she can't find him. She feels the panic start to hit her and everything seems to move in slow motion. _Josef please baby answer me._ Beth gets hit with a blast of pain that brings reality back.

"Mick, I'm getting pain feedback from him, like I did when he wiped out in the desert. He's hurt. Hurry. We've got to find him."

Mick hears the fear and panic in her voice. "Beth, try and block the pain. I need you to stay calm, so we can help Josef."

Beth swallows her tears and pain and continues to follow Mick. "I will."

Katrina hears the shots and tries to get a fix on Josef. She has been laying back following Mick and Beth, but she kicks into overdrive and begins to pass Mick. He can shoot her if he wants but somehow, she doesn't think he will. Beth sees her and lets out a low growl.

"Beth, she didn't have anything to do with this. Don't do anything rash."

"She gets one chance."

Josef gets past the pain and tries to move. He feels the gun barrel next to his head. He looks up at Nicky. "Not so smart mouthed, anymore are you? I bet even a vamp doesn't come back from a silver bullet to the head. Want to try and see?"

Josef closes his eyes and waits for it, but nothing happens. _Beth?_

_Oh my god Josef. Are you hurt bad?_

No but that little psychopath has a gun to my head. He's using silver bullets and I took two in the chest. It put me down long enough for him to get to me.

"Mick, did you hear that?"

"Yea, got it." Mick slows down and comes to a stop.

"Mick, what are you doing? Nicky has Josef."

"I know but if we go charging in there, we don't know what he may do. As long as he has a gun to Josef's head, I'm not in any mood to chance it."

Mick turns to Beth. "I want you to sit down here behind this tree and stay there. Too many people are going to spook him. You sit here and talk to Josef. Keep the lines open."

Beth starts to argue and stops. Mick knows what he's doing, and she trusts him to make this call. She nods and reaches up and kisses him lightly. "Be safe and please kill that son of a bitch so he can't hurt Josef."

Mick turns and disappears into the trees.

Katrina watches from her position in the trees as Mick comes out of the darkness of the trees. None of them notice her but she's sure Mick and Josef sense her presence. "Nicky, it's Mick. I want to talk to you."

"St. John, I've got a gun to his head. You know how much I'd love to kill this asshole. So, you make one wrong move and it's the end of him."

"Nicky, I'm not going to do anything rash. Just let Josef go and we can talk it over."

"No, no more talking. I want to see my mother. You go get her and I'll trade you a live Kostan for my mom. If not, you get a dead Kostan. Mick, you know I'll do it."

Mick does know he'll do it. "Nicky, your mom isn't in town. I have to go and get her." Mick doesn't know what to do besides stall for time.

"Well, then you better get moving because we can't stand here forever. Once dawn comes, I'll have to kill him because then people will start to show up. You better hustle."

Katrina knows she can't stand there, and watch Nicky kill Josef, she just can't. This is her fault and she can't let Josef pay the price. She walks out of the trees and moves towards the men. Nicky sees her, sees the wolf. "Mamma?"

Mick and Josef don't take their eyes off Nicky for a second. They watch him closely for any kind of opening.

Katrina shifts to human form as Nicky watches. "Yes, baby, it's me."

Nicky looks at Katrina in absolute awe. For a moment he's to dazed to speak. "Why… why did you leave me?"

"I'm sorry baby, I had too. I missed you though and I always loved you with all my heart. I'm so sorry."

Josef feels the gun move away from his head, as Nicky gets lost in the sight of his mother. In the blink of an eye Josef is rolling away and comes up firing. He hears a second gun and sees Mick doing the same.

Nicky falls to the ground as both men hit their target. Mick kicks the rifle away from Nicky. Josef watches him to see if he's going to shift so he can heal. There is no change.

Katrina runs across the clearing and kneels next to Nicky. She cradles his head in her lap. "Oh, baby. I'm so sorry, so sorry."

He looks up at her as he's dying. "I love you mama."

Katrina's tears are dripping down her cheeks. "I love you too baby."

Nicky smiles at her softly. "Don't cry. At least I finally got to see you." It's the last thing he ever says. Katrina runs her hand across his face and closes his eyes.

Josef moves to Katrina and picks her up. Her body is racked with sobs. He passes Beth coming into the clearing. "Beth, I love you, but I have to do this for her. I have to take care of her for now."

Beth nods. "Call us if you need something."

Beth moves to Mick and looks down at Nicky. "Why doesn't this feel as good as I thought I would?"

"Because your one of the good guys and death is never anything but a waste, even this one."

Mick flips his phone open. "Victoria, I have a cleanup of sorts. I need you to pick up a body, but I want it taken to a funeral home and readied for a burial and long-distance travel. Do we have anyone that can take care of something like that?"

"Yes, of course. Is this your serial killer?"

"Yes. I think his aunt is going to want to bury him in their homeland."

Mick tells Victoria were the body is and he and Beth wait to make sure no one comes upon it unexpectedly.

Xxxxxxxxx

Josef carries Katrina into the house and lays her on the couch in his study once again. She cried herself to exhaustion on the way back. Robert enters the room. He sees the look on Josef's face and senses the sorrow coming from the sleeping Katrina. "It's done?"

As he straightens up Josef winces from the pain. "Yes, it's done. Shit grab a surgical kit, I've got two slugs in my back that need to come out, right now. Call Jenny and get the girls back home. Tell Al the security can stand down and call the rest of the humans and tell them it's safe to come back. I would like things back to normal as soon as possible."

Robert nods. "You and me both." He leaves the room to do as Josef requests.

Josef takes off his guns and puts them in the cabinet in the corner. As terrible as this is for Katrina all he can feel at this moment is relief. It's finally over and somehow, they kept Nicky from killing any of them. He flips open his phone. "Sergey?"

"Josef, is she...?"

"Yes, she's fine physically. She saved my ass, but Mick and I still had to take Nicky down. She's walking wounded at this point. I think it would be a good idea for you to get the first plane out. I know it will take you a day or so to get here but she needs you here. This is no one here that can help her like she needs."

Sergey nods. He knows what Josef is trying to say. "Thank you. It won't take as long as you think. I'm already in Chicago. My flight to L.A. leaves in an hour. I couldn't sit and wait for bad news. I had to come myself."

"It's good you did. I'll tell her you're on your way when she wakes up." Josef disconnects the call and sees Beth in the doorway.

"Beth, I have to stay here... stay with her. Sergey is in Chicago, he's on his way. I can't leave her until he gets here. Do you understand?"

"Yes, of course. Josef, Mick wanted me to tell you what he did. He thought that Katrina would like to bury her nephew, so he had Victoria take the body to a friendly funeral home. They will prepare the body for transport to Russia is that's what she wants."

Robert returns with a surgical kit and Josef peels off his shirt. He wishes Beth wasn't here to see this. She doesn't need the reminder he was hurt but the bullets are silver and need to come out. He sits down and Robert goes to work. He hopes he can distract Beth. He continues the conversation as though nothing out of the ordinary is going on. "Tell Mick I owe him one. I'm sure that is exactly what she is going to want." Beth turns in the door and starts to move away. "I love you." She smiles at the words echoing in her head, but she also knows that she and Josef need to have a word about what happened. She's not going to let it get in the way of what needs to be done, but she's pushing an awful lot of anger down. It won't stay buried for long.

Robert finishes and hands Josef a glass of blood and a clean shirt. "I have a hunch you'll be lucky if she doesn't shoot you, herself." He takes the empty glass and leaves the room.

Xxxxxxxxx

Sergey starts to knock but Robert opens the door sensing him there. "She's in the study with Josef." He nods and follows Robert to the study. He sees Katrina asleep on the couch and Josef sitting on the floor next to the couch. She's in wolf form and Josef is softly petting her."

Josef looks at Sergey as he stands up. "There was no other way."

"I know Josef and I'm sure she does as well." Sergey moves to Katrina as Josef leaves the room.

Josef sits heavily on the couch in the den. Mick watches him. "You going to be ok?"

"Yea, I need his last bit to be over with. Once they are gone it will get better. Where's Beth?"

"Upstairs helping the girls unpack. I think she's happier they are home than you are or will be when you come out of this funk."

Josef smiles wanly at Mick. "Once this is over and I have a fresh meal I'm going to be so much better. I feel like someone sucked all the blood out of me."

Mick snorts at Josef's attempt at a joke. "How about a drink for the time being?"

Josef nods and Mick pours them both a half and half. Mick starts to warn Josef about how angry Beth is, but he hears Sergey and Katrina in the doorway.

They both look up as Sergey and Katrina enter the room. "We will be leaving now." Sergey tells them.

Katrina looks out from under red-rimmed eyes. "I'm so sorry Josef, for everything."

Josef waves his hand. "Katrina it's done, it's over with. Let's let it all go. I'm sorry there was no other way."

"I know, I wish I could have buried him at home."

Mick stands up and crosses the room to her. "I know it's small comfort, but I arranged for you to do that. Here are the papers you'll need to get the casket through customs. Here is the card for the funeral home that has prepared him for burial and transport. They are our people so there will be no awkward questions. Everything has been paid for. All you have to do is tell them when the flight home is."

Katrina gives Mick a grateful hug. "Thank you so much. This means so much."

Josef stands and hands her a piece of paper. "I never told you this, but I had Anya's body moved to consecrated ground. Here is the address of the cemetery where she is buried. They will have a plot next to her ready when you get there. You can bury him a long side Anya as it should have been long ago."

Katrina gives Josef a quick hug and Sergey steers her out of the house and out to the car.

Beth is waiting alongside the car. "Katrina. Thank you very much for what you did. If you hadn't, Josef would be dead. I'll owe you for that for the rest of my life."

Katrina nods. "Take care of them. They both love you very much."

Beth nods "I will." and walks towards the house.

Beth enters the den to find Josef and Mick sitting across from each other. "They're gone."

Josef gets up and crosses the room intent on kissing Beth and holding her to make up for taking care of Katrina. In his rush to make things up to her he doesn't stop to get a sense of her mood. He gets within striking distance and she finally tags him a good one right across the face. Josef looks at her in something akin to shock.

Mick winces when he hears Beth connect. Well she was bound to do it someday.

"You son of a bitch. If you ever go into a situation like that alone again, you won't have to worry about someone killing you because I'll do it myself. I can't believe you put yourself in that kind of danger when we could be there to help in just a few minutes. You think I like the idea of Nicky holding a gun to your head? What in the hell were you thinking?"

Josef's eyes go crystal and he snarl back at her. "I was trying to keep you from getting killed. If you weren't such a pain in the ass maybe people wouldn't all the time be trying to kill you."

"Bullshit. You were grandstanding. You're always thinking you're so damn indestructible because you're so much older than anyone else. Well, guess what the stupid psycho human got the better of you. Just remember the next time. For some stupid reason the idea of losing you scares the hell out of me."

Robert hears the commotion and enters the den. He crosses to Mick and smiles. "Things are back to normal, aren't they?"

Mick watches the fight in progress. "Yep. It should take them oh, about a half hour to burn through her fear and anger. We could try and break it up before that but what the hell. I think they both need to burn off some adrenaline. Besides, he has it coming. He scared us both badly. I told her I'd help kick his ass but staying out of it and letting her take care of it is punishment enough. If I know the way this is going to work out, he'll be asking her to forgive him not long from now."

Robert nods. "You're probably right. You want to go see the girls and have dinner?"

Mick smiles. "Sure. Let's go. They can join us when they finally wind down." The two leave the room to the sounds of home.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Hopefully no one hated the ending.** **Comments are always welcome. I'll get the next one up as quick as I can. **


End file.
